The rapidly escalating attacks by US and Israel on Iran and now on Lebanon has triggered sharp criticism from Muslim organisations across Australia, with the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC), the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) and other groups condemning the Albanese government’s support for the military campaign and warning that the conflict risks plunging the Middle East into a catastrophic regional war with repercussions reverberating across the globe.
The crisis intensified after joint US–Israeli strikes across Iran earlier this month, with Iranian authorities reporting heavy civilian casualties. One of the most devastating incidents occurred in the southern Iranian city of Minab in Hormozgan province, where a girls’ elementary school was struck during the opening phase of the bombing campaign by US and Israel.
Iranian judicial officials say the attack killed at least 165 people, the majority of them schoolgirls aged between seven and twelve, while dozens more were injured when parts of the school building collapsed during class hours.
Images from the site showing schoolbags, textbooks and children’s belongings scattered among the rubble quickly circulated around the world, turning the Minab school into a symbol of the civilian suffering caused by the widening war. Iranian officials have accused the United States and Israel of targeting civilian infrastructure, while US military authorities said reports of civilian casualties were under review.
The attack has intensified international concern about the erosion of international humanitarian law and the protection of civilian institutions such as schools. Legal experts note that under the Geneva Conventions, schools are considered protected civilian objects and attacks on them raise serious questions under the principles of distinction and proportionality.
The bombing of Iran marks a dramatic expansion of a conflict that began with Israel’s war in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed and much of the territory’s educational infrastructure has been destroyed. Critics argue that the widening war reflects a dangerous regional escalation that now stretches from Gaza to Lebanon, Syria and Iran.
In Australia, the Albanese government’s public support for the US and Israel has drawn strong criticism from Muslim organisations and anti-war groups who say Canberra should be advocating for de-escalation rather than aligning itself with military action.
The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils warned that the conflict risks spiralling into a far broader and more destructive war. AFIC President Dr Rateb Jneid said the expansion of hostilities across the region was producing catastrophic humanitarian consequences and undermining international norms designed to protect civilians.
“This continued military escalation by Israel, backed politically and militarily by the United States, represents a dangerous and unlawful expansion of the conflict across the region,” Dr Jneid said.
“Yet instead of calling for restraint and the protection of civilian life, the Australian government chose to immediately express support for these attacks. That response is deeply troubling and sends the wrong message at a time when the world should be demanding de-escalation.”
AFIC also expressed alarm at reports that Australia may consider providing military assistance to support US operations in the Gulf as the conflict intensifies.
“This would be an extraordinarily dangerous and irresponsible step,” Dr Jneid warned. “History has repeatedly shown that these kinds of interventions do not bring peace or stability. The invasions of Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, and decades of military intervention across the region have left destruction, instability and immense civilian suffering in their wake.”
The organisation said that instead of supporting military escalation, Australia should use its diplomatic influence to call for an immediate ceasefire and the protection of civilian populations.
The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) and other civil society groups have also criticised Canberra’s position, arguing that support for the attacks undermines Australia’s commitment to international law and risks further destabilising the region.
Analysts note that Australia’s strategic alignment with the United States includes hosting key intelligence facilities such as the Pine Gap joint defence installation in the Northern Territory, which plays a role in missile launch detection and intelligence gathering across the Middle East.
Critics say this strategic partnership raises difficult questions about Australia’s role in conflicts far from its shores.
“The Australian government must come to its senses,” Dr Jneid said. “Australia should be at the forefront of international efforts to stop these illegal attacks and restore respect for international law, not contributing to the expansion of war.”
Meanwhile Iran has vowed retaliation for the strikes, raising fears of a prolonged confrontation that could draw in other regional actors and disrupt global energy markets, particularly given Iran’s proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.
As funerals continue across Iran and tensions remain high across the Middle East, the conflict is increasingly being viewed not as an isolated confrontation but as the latest and most dangerous phase in a cycle of wars that has already devastated much of the region over the past two decades.
Unless urgent diplomatic efforts are made, analysts warn the widening war risks producing consequences that could reverberate across the Middle East — and the world — for generations.
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