Australia appears to distance itself from 'unpredictable' Trump

The federal government is appearing to distance itself from an increasingly "unpredictable" US President as his public communications over the conflict in Iran become increasingly concerning.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia was trying to diversify its relationships as she singled out Donald Trump in a rare criticism.

"We know that the US under President Trump will be more unpredictable," she told Today.

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"What we are doing about that is continuing to work with them, but also diversifying our partnerships, working in our region with Southeast Asia, with the Pacific, with Canada, with the United Kingdom and with the European Union."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to Singapore today to meet his counterpart and shore up trade on essential supplies, including petrol, diesel and liquefied natural gas.

He said the trip was to help Australia build resilience in an increasingly "uncertain world".

Albanese was one of the first to support the US and Israel's joint attack on Iran on February 28, which killed its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei.

He brushed off any concerns of international law breaches as a matter for the US and not Australia. 

Australian military assets, like the E-7A Wedgetail, were also sent to the Gulf region to help protect citizens and civilians.

Albanese confirmed he signed off on keeping the aircraft in the region for "a period of time" this morning, but reiterated that Australia was not involved in the Middle East in any offensive capacity.

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Since his initial support, Albanese and his government have appeared to change their tone.

Albanese said the war's original objectives had been met as Trump considered sending troops to the ground in Iran.

This week, he questioned what the current war objectives were and called for a de-escalation.

"I think it's very clear that any further escalation needs to be outlined, what the objective is," he said on Tuesday.

In a rare rebuke of a US President, Albanese also condemned Trump for threatening to bring Iran "back to the Stone Ages" and that a "whole civilisation will die" if it did not bow to his narrowing deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

"Open the F-----' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah," he said in a Truth Social post.

While Trump did abandon his threat at the 11th hour for a shaky two-week ceasefire, Albanese told Sky News the threat was both "inappropriate" and "extraordinary".

Wong told the ABC that no one should threaten the destruction of a civilisation.

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