US-Iran war live updates: Anthony Albanese announces fuel excise reduction to cope with soaring fuel prices

Israel’s military says six of its soldiers have been injured in Lebanon in separate incidents.

Two soldiers were severely injured after an anti-tank missile was fired towards them in southern Lebanon yesterday afternoon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says.

Three IDF soldiers were injured, one severely, after a drone fell near to them, the military says. One more soldier was injured after an “operational accident”, it adds. The troops have all been taken to hospital.

The Kuwait National Guard says it intercepted five drones, the country’s state news agency reported this morning.

It follows the death of a worker from India in an Iranian attack on a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity and Water said in a statement overnight.

Yesterday, Kuwait’s armed forces said 10 of its members were injured in Iranian attacks on military camps.

In a short post on his social platform, President Trump says the US has already destroyed “many targets” in Iran.

He posts on Truth Social: “Big day in Iran. Many long sought after targets have been taken out and destroyed by our GREAT MILITARY, the finest and most lethal in the World.”

The Prime Minister has called for “more certainty” over Donald Trump’s war on Iran, as the head of the RSL warns the month-long conflict is already showing early signs of “mission creep.”

Four weeks after the US launched its attack, Anthony Albanese has again stressed he has “nothing but contempt” for the Iranian regime but argued the objectives outlined by Washington at the start of the war have now largely been achieved.

“At the beginning of the conflict, the objectives were outlined as, one, stopping Iran getting a nuclear weapon – agree. And clearly (that) has been achieved,” Mr Albanese said.

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Shortly after announcing fresh strikes on Tehran, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has identified missiles launched from Iran and defensive systems are working to intercept the threat, BBC reports.

It has also issued a precautionary directive to the public, urging them to “act responsibly” and “enter a protected space” until further notice, according to the IDF’s Telegram channel.

US President Donald Trump said today was a “big day in Iran” after joint US-Israeli military operations and ongoing peace talks.

“Big day in Iran. Many long sought after targets have been taken out and destroyed by our GREAT MILITARY, the finest and most lethal in the World. God bless you all!” he wrote on Truth Social.

Speaking on Air Force One, Mr Trump said again the US was “weeks ahead of schedule in Iran”.

He said his administration was now dealing with “new people”.

“We have a group, it’s really a new regime, it’s a new group of people, people we’ve never dealt with before... acting pretty reasonable.

“It really is regime change.”

Petrol will be 26 cents-a-litre cheaper from Wednesday with a temporary cut to fuel excise as the Prime Minister urges Australians to “enjoy their Easter” and keep the economy ticking over amid the fuel crisis.

National cabinet has agreed to a four-stage fuel security plan but its language is vague about when rationing might become mandatory and what the triggers are to shift between levels.

The Federal Government decided to halve fuel excise to 26 cents per litre for three months starting on April 1, while the States have agreed to consider how to ease the GST burden.

It will also temporarily reduce the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero for the same three-months and delay a regular increase in the charge, with potential registration relief to come from the States.

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The Prime Minister has demanded President Donald Trump set out his clear objectives for the war in the Middle East, and says he wants to see a de-escalation of the conflict.

Anthony Albanese has told reporters there needs to be “more certainty” over what the United States is aiming to achieve and what its objectives are a month into the strikes against Iran.

“I have nothing but contempt for the Iranian regime,” Mr Albanese told reporters but stressed the US President needed to be more upfront about whether regime change was still being pursued.

Australia’s commercial transport and logistics sector will be targeted in a suite of measures announced by the Federal Government to combat the fuel volatility sparked by the Iran war.

Anthony Albanese on Monday said the heavy vehicle road user charge will be reduced to zero across the next three months to help the fuel-reliant industry.

“Our government will reduce the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero for three months to help truckies continue their vital work for our nation,” the PM said.

“In addition to that, we’ve deferred the next scheduled increase in the heavy vehicle road user charge by six months.

“We understand in particular that the heavy vehicle industry is under real pressure.”

The PM said as heavy vehicle registration is linked to state and territories, he raised the truckie support with leaders during their virtual National Cabinet meeting on Monday morning.

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Treasurer Jim Chalmers has revealed the decision to halve fuel excise will reduce the cost of filling up a 65-litre tank by about $19, in what he’s described as “substantial cost of living relief”.

Mr Chalmers says the temporary relief is expected to cost the budget around $2.55 billion over three months, insisiting the move is “timely, it is temporary, and it is responsible”.

A separate initiative to delay the increase in the heavy vehicle road user charge is expected to cost the budget around another $53 million.