Australia’s support for the US-Israeli war on Iran has again exposed the reflexive subservience of Australian foreign policy, tying the country to another failed American military adventure that did nothing to serve the national interest.

It may be a while before the full dimension of the military defeat of the United States and Israel by Iran can be assessed. The re-evaluation of relative positions of power in the region, including the impact on Israel and its political leadership and its habit of perpetual war against its neighbours will also take time, if only because President Trump and prime minister Netanyahu are still in states of denial, even as those immediately about them readily admit the complete failure of strategy and tactics, the fact that Iran has emerged relatively better off than it was before and the probable end of the US blank cheque for all Israeli warfare, and resupply of guns and munitions.

Australia will, as usual in recent times, be hoping that most of the rest of the world will forget that we were a participant in the war, one far more active than we pretended. No NATO states, and no other nations usually disposed to America, gave more assistance, whether to the US or Israel, or both. We supplied “defensive” missiles to the Gulf states in case of Iranian attacks, surveillance aircraft to give early warning of missile, ballistic missile, and, later, drone attacks on Gulf states and Israel from Iran. US bases and “joint Australia-US” facilities such as Pine Gap also provided Israel with early warning, and telemetry, on Iranian missile attacks.

The Gulf states gave passive support to the US-Israeli attacks but did not attack Iranian centres. But they paid a high price for allowing US bases and assets in their territory, because these, as well as some of their industrial and oil infrastructure (and airports) were attacked by missiles and drones, causing considerable damage. The extent of the damage to US bases is still highly classified, but according to American military commentators, has been very serious.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese identified Australia with American war aims of preventing Iran’s development of nuclear weapons, punishing Iran for interference in the affairs of neighbouring countries, punishment of Iran’s alleged commissioning of a terrorist attack on a synagogue and Australian Jews, and the protection of tens of thousands of Australian citizens in the region as well as Australian (and American) allies located in the Gulf.

Australia’s knowledge of Iranian connivance at terrorism on Australian soil is said to have come from no doubt disinterested Israeli intelligence tip off to the head of ASIO. Albanese also attached himself to the idea of regime change – a hope that the brave citizenry could shake off their authoritarian and repressive theocracy. This was pretty much the full house on President Trump’s announced war aims, although Australia made it clear it did not intend to participate in active strikes on Iran, or get Australian troops involved on Iranian territory.

No one – not a single ally or friend – responded to Trump’s call to arms other than Albanese

Our coming forward did not start a stampede. NATO and European nations, for........

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