外交部长彭妮·翁警告称，伊朗支持的胡塞武装对沙特首都利雅得的袭击可能会进一步推高燃油价格。沙特官员周四表示，也门胡塞武装近日对利雅得的哈立德国王国际机场以及靠近也门边境的阿布哈国际机场发动了两次袭击，已造成至少三人死亡，36人受伤。此次事件发生在胡塞武装与沙特支持、获得国际承认的也门政府之间冲突再起之际。
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has warned an attack on Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh by the Iran-backed Houthis could further exacerbate fuel prices. Saudi officials said on Thursday at least three people had been killed and 36 injured after twin attacks by the Yemen-based Houthis on the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and the Abha International Airport close to the Yemeni border in recent days. It comes amid renewed fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government in Yemen, which suffered blistering losses in a lightning offensive on the Red Sea coast last month that reignited fears about the safety of global energy supply.
上个月，胡塞武装对红海沿岸发动闪电攻势，造成惨重损失，再次引发了人们对全球能源供应安全的担忧。周四，翁参议员表示，有关袭击利雅得的报道“令人非常担忧”。她说：“如果这些报道得到证实，我们很可能会看到油价上涨，这显然会影响澳大利亚民众在加油站加油时的支出。”当被问及在沙特近期遭受袭击（包括一条通往红海沿岸的输油管道遭袭）后，是否会排除再次削减燃油消费税的可能性时，翁参议员表示她不会“对是否实施做出明确表态”。
On Thursday, Senator Wong said reports of the attack on Riyadh were “very concerning”. “We will likely see, if these reports are confirmed, upward pressure on the oil price, which obviously affects Australians at the bowser,” she said. Asked whether she would rule out another fuel excise cut following the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia, including on a pipeline sending fuel to the Red Sea coast, Senator Wong said she would not “get into ruling in or out”. She said the government remained focused on guaranteeing supplies of petrol, diesel and fertiliser as well as other cost-of-living relief.
她说，政府仍专注于保障汽油、柴油和化肥的供应，并提供其他生活成本方面的援助。与此同时，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普承诺在明年中期选举前不会攻击伊朗。特朗普在Truth Social上发帖称：“我们正在与伊朗伊斯兰共和国进行富有成效的讨论。”美国及其海湾盟友一直难以与伊朗达成一项持久的协议，以重新开放霍尔木兹海峡。
It comes as US President Donald Trump pledges not to attack Iran before the midterm elections next month. In a post to Truth Social, Mr Trump said “We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”The US and their Gulf allies have struggled to establish a lasting agreement with Iran that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, through which one-fifth of the world’s crude oil passes in peacetime, was largely shuttered by Iran following the outbreak of hostilities.
在和平时期，全球五分之一的原油需经过该海峡，但在冲突爆发后，伊朗基本将其封锁。美国则通过封锁伊朗港口作为回应，而伊朗表示，在重新开放海峡之前，必须解除这一封锁。
The US has responded by blockading Iranian ports, something Iran says must be lifted before the strait is reopened. Senator Wong said whether claims by Mr Trump that the strait was open were accurate or not, “it’s what the private sector – shipping, the transport companies – believe can happen” that was important.
黄参议员表示，无论特朗普先生声称该海峡仍然开放的言论是否属实，“重要的是私营部门——航运和运输公司——认为哪些情况可能发生”。她说道：“显然，这正在抑制公司通过该海峡运输燃料的意愿，进而对燃料供应产生影响。”黄参议员还表示，G7决定向全球市场释放柴油储备，“为市场注入了信心”。她重申，澳大利亚希望“看到战争结束”，并称特朗普先生与伊朗之间的谈判是“一件好事”。
“And so obviously there’s a chilling effect on the willingness of companies to transport fuel through the strait, which is having an effect on fuel,” she said. Senator Wong said the G7’s decision to release diesel reserves into the global supply “gives the market confidence”. She reiterated that Australia wants “to see an end to the war” and said negotiations between Mr Trump and Iran were “a good thing”. “We want to see the strait open because ultimately, the impact on energy markets is having an impact on Australians every day,” she said.
她说：“我们希望看到该海峡重新开放，因为最终，能源市场受到的影响正波及着澳大利亚民众的日常生活。”
Senator Wong also defended downgrading travel risk warnings for the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
黄参议员还为下调对阿拉伯联合酋长国和卡塔尔的旅行风险警告进行了辩护。此前，在2月28日美国与以色列对伊斯兰共和国发动突袭后，这些富油酋长国遭到伊朗袭击，澳大利亚的“Smartraveller”旅行警告曾建议所有旅客避免前往这些地区。目前，旅客被建议对恐怖主义威胁以及“该地区难以预测的安全局势”保持“高度警惕”。邻近的科威特、巴林、沙特阿拉伯以及基本保持中立的阿曼，仍处于“重新考虑是否旅行”的警告级别，这是第二高的警告等级。
Australia’s Smartraveller had warned all travellers against travelling to the oil-rich sheikhdoms after they came under attack from Iran following the US and Israel’s February 28 surprise attack on the Islamic Republic. Travellers are now being advised to “exercise a high degree of caution” to the threat of terrorism and “the unpredictable security situation in the region”. Nearby Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and mostly neutral Oman remained under “reconsider travel” warning levels, the second-highest. “We know that this region is very important for Australians because so many Australians use particularly Qatar and the UAE, Doha and Dubai to transit.”
黄参议员表示：“我们知道这一地区对澳大利亚民众非常重要，因为许多澳大利亚人尤其会经由卡塔尔和阿联酋的多哈与迪拜中转。”她补充道：“我们对此非常清楚。但与此同时，我们也必须依据最佳的安全和外交建议作出判断。”
Senator Wong said. “We’re very conscious of that. But, at the same time, we have to look at what the best security and diplomatic advice is.”