US-Iran war: PM’s fuel tsar plan, Iran vows revenge, base with Australian forces hit near Dubai

An Australian accommodation block and medical facility at the Al Minhad airbase in the United Arab Emirates have been damaged in an Iranian attack but no military personnel were hurt.

It is the second strike by Iran on the base near Dubai since the conflict started on February 28, prompting fears that Australian forces are being targeted because of the assistance sent to the UAE.

Dozens of ADF members remain stationed at Al Minhad in a section known as Camp Baird, running Headquarters Middle East in support of up to 12 operations across the region.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the base was hit with a projectile.

Perth had the biggest petrol price rise across the nation in the past week, while Sydney had the largest diesel spike.

The ACCC’s latest weekly fuel price update showed that petrol went up by an average 59.5 cents in Perth, while disesel cost an average 67.8c more in Sydney.

“We have heard concerns from residents, businesses and primary producers about the impacts of diesel shortages,” an ACCC spokesperson said.

“We are engaging with industry participants and other agencies to ensure effective fuel distribution and are ready to assist where it provides a net public benefit.”

Across the eight capital cities, wholesale petrol prices increased by an average of 42c a litre.

Qatar’s Defence Ministry says it has intercepted a missile attack.

“Armed forces intercepted missile attack which targeted the State of Qatar,” it said.

Getting fuel to farmers who will soon be harvesting is the priority, according to Costa Group chief executive Marc Werner.

“We need to make sure that the allocation ... for the horticultural sector or for the agricultural sector is going into those regions where we actually now start harvesting because we are just about to commence harvesting and now we have this kind of situation and the harvesting schedule and the harvesting windows, there needs to be a synchronisation, if that makes sense, from a fuel supply perspective,” he said.

The US has struck Iranian missile positions near the vital Strait of Hormuz using some of the most powerful bombs in its arsenal.

US Central Command confirmed that forces deployed multiple deep-penetrator munitions against hardened missile sites along Iran’s coast.

Officials said the targets housed anti-ship cruise missiles that posed a direct threat to global shipping moving through the waterway.

“The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait,” Central Command said.

The strike comes after Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz — a critical chokepoint that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply — in retaliation for the war involving the US and Israel.

Anthony Albanese and State leaders are set to hammer out a national plan to secure and distribute fuel, with a supply chain “tsar” likely to be appointed.

The Prime Minister will convene a special National Cabinet meeting on Thursday amid growing concern that the country’s fuel distribution system is too fragmented and lacks coordination.

Federal and State governments are scrambling to tighten control as global tensions threaten supply.

The Australian reported that a national fuel tracking system had been floated but it was not expected to be implemented straight away.

Currently, the Federal Government is responsible for securing fuel supplies and the States handle distribution.

Australia could face fertiliser supply issues within weeks unless more product arrives, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has warned.

Speaking at the Global Food Forum, Ms Collins said current supplies would be enough to get farmers through the early stages of winter crop planting — but the situation could quickly deteriorate.

“This is very fluid,” she said.

Ms Collins said that there was enough fertiliser in the country, along with shipments on the way, to cover initial planting.

But she warned that the buffer may not last.

“The advice that we have is there is enough either in the country or on water to deal with the initial planting but sort of late May, June there starts to be an issue if we don’t get more supplies in,” she said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on the verge of locking in a support package to keep Australia’s last two oil refineries operating beyond 2027.

The plan, expected to be unveiled within days, will involve subsidies for Viva Energy and Ampol to secure the future of refineries in Victoria and Queensland.

The move comes as the Federal Government scrambles to shield Australia’s fuel supply from growing global uncertainty.

Together, the two refineries produce about 20 per cent of the nation’s fuel but depend on government support to stay viable.

Australia’s refining capacity has been steadily shrinking for years.

Refineries across South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland were closed between 2003 and 2015, with further closures in WA and Victoria because of low demand during COVID.

The latest package is aimed at preventing further erosion of the country’s domestic fuel production and reducing reliance on imports.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that two Israeli strikes on Beirut have killed at least six people and wounded 24 others.

“Human remains were also recovered from the site and their identities will be determined after DNA testing,” it said in a statement.

The strikes on central Beirut and the city’s southern suburbs were coordinated early today.