A key measure of inflation has fallen to a four-year low, giving hope to mortgage holders of another drop in interest rates.

Headline inflation fell from 2.4 per cent to 2.1 per cent in May, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed.

The monthly figures also revealed a sharp drop in trimmed mean inflation, which removes volatile items, from 2.8 per cent to 2.4 per cent in the month.

It’s the smallest increase in the closely watched measure since November 2021.

The trimmed mean is the preferred figure for the Reserve Bank when assessing inflation and the drop has bolstered the prospect of a rate cut when the central bank’s board meets in a fortnight.

The figures prompted the Commonwealth Bank, the country’s largest mortgage provider, to bring forward its prediction of when the next interest rate cut will be from August to July.

Economists had tipped inflation to remain steady for the month at 2.4 per cent.

The battle against inflation was not over but the figures were a welcome development, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.

“The progress we’re making together on inflation is substantial and it means that it’s sustained,” he told reporters in Brisbane.

“I didn’t say it’s mission accomplished, but we are certainly making more progress than was expected.”

May’s figures were the sixth month in a row both headline inflation and the trimmed mean were in the Reserve Bank’s target range of between two and three per cent.

The largest contribution to inflation came from an increase in food and non-alcoholic beverage costs, up 2.9 per cent in the 12 months to May.

Housing was up two per cent and alcohol and tobacco rose 5.9 per cent.

The cost of coffee and tea had helped to drive up the prices of non-alcoholic drinks by 5.2 per cent, the bureau’s head of price statistics Michelle Marquardt said.

“Higher prices for coffee drove the rise with adverse weather conditions impacting major overseas coffee bean-growing areas,” she said.

But there was only a small rise in holiday travel costs, up 0.6 per cent in the 12 months to May, down from the sharp 5.3 per cent increase recorded for April.

Despite unrest in the Middle East, the price of fuel fell by 10 per cent in the year to May, with petrol prices at their lowest levels since September 2022.

“Across capital cities the average price for unleaded petrol in May was $1.73 per litre,” Ms Marquardt said.

“This is 20 cents lower than 12 months ago and significantly below the peak monthly average price of $2.07 per litre in September 2023.”

Canstar data insight director Sally Tindall said the inflation numbers had given the Reserve Bank its biggest indication it would be safe to cut in July.

“The fact that the board considered the case for a double cut at the last meeting gives us good insight into its thinking and suggests it will almost certainly consider the case for a cut at the next one,” she said.

“While the data opens the door to a cut in July, borrowers should not consider it a done deal. 

“The board could opt to wait for the full quarterly CPI results, which aren’t out until the end of July, before locking in another cut.”

A 25 basis point cut in interest rates would save mortgage holders $90 a month in repayments on a typical, $600,000 loan.

Two major supermarket chains have criticised national data used to compare grocery prices after they were found to be charging customers more than their cheapest rival.

Research from consumer advocacy group Choice crowned Aldi the best for overall value, while IGA was found to be the most expensive.

Both Coles and IGA have pushed back, arguing the data failed to capture the full range of discounts available in their stores.

Undercover shoppers visited 104 supermarkets across Australia in March to compare the prices of 14 common grocery items.

The items included vegetable stock, sour cream, drinking chocolate, butternut pumpkin, quick oats, garlic, and onions.

Choice says the findings are meant to provide a general picture of grocery prices, noting that smaller and independent stores tend to have more fluctuating prices.

Products were matched as closely as possible based on pack size, ingredients and country of origin.

Aldi offered the most value, with the full basket of products costing just $55.35.

Woolworths was not far behind at $58.92, while the Coles basket without specials came in at $59.22.

A Coles spokesperson said the supermarket offered thousands of weekly specials and the reviewed basket does not accurately reflect the full range of products it sells.

The most expensive shop was IGA at $69.74, although it did prove cheapest for carrots and garlic.

IGA said it was “unfair” that prices at small independent stores were being compared with larger supermarkets.

A spokesperson said they had raised concerns with Choice following its earlier report in March.

“It is disappointing that Choice acknowledges the wide variation in product range and store size of the IGA stores surveyed yet still includes their findings regardless,” the spokesperson told AAP.

“IGA stores have a differentiated range, specifically tailored to local shoppers with brands you cannot find anywhere else.”

Woolworths said it understood the pressures felt by customers and they would continue to reduce prices on hundreds of winter essentials.

Aldi Australia’s Jordan Lack said the supermarket would continue to provide quality products and low prices.

While Aldi claimed the top spot in Choice’s comparison, separate research by JPMorgan suggests it has been cutting prices to stay competitive.

According to the investment bank, Aldi’s June price reductions, which focused on home brand products, marked its largest monthly price cut in 18 months.

The move is believed to be a direct response to Woolworths’ recent $100 million investment in its Lower Shelf Price program, launched in May.

In March, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission released its final report into supermarkets, finding major chains had little incentive to be competitive on pricing due to their large market share.

A casual ABC radio host awarded $70,000 after being unlawfully fired for her opinion on the Israel-Gaza conflict will seek “significant penalties”.

Antoinette Lattouf was hired for a week-long stint on ABC Radio Sydney’s Mornings program before Christmas 2023.

She was dismissed in a “state of panic” at the broadcaster hours after senior staff learned she had shared a Human Rights Watch post claiming Israel was using starvation as a “weapon of war” in Gaza.

The 41-year-old won her unlawful termination case in the Federal Court on Wednesday, when Justice Darryl Rangiah handed down his decision in a courtroom full of her supporters.

He found the ABC breached Australian employment law by dismissing the journalist for reasons that included her political opinion.

At the time, the broadcaster was under pressure from an orchestrated campaign of complaints against Lattouf by a pro-Israel lobbyist group.

The national broadcaster also did not give her the chance to defend the allegations, merely showing her the door, the judge found.

The ABC was ordered to pay $70,000 to Lattouf for the emotional distress caused.

Outside court, she told reporters she was dismissed for sharing findings of “unspeakable suffering” experienced by Palestinian children.

“Deliberately starving children is a war crime,” she said.

“Today the court has found that punishing someone for sharing facts about war crimes is also illegal.”

Lattouf offered to settle the case for $85,000 in August.

This was an offer the ABC – which has spent more than $1.1 million defending the case – rejected, her lawyer Josh Bornstein said.

“When organisations capitulate to bad faith complaints against staff, the results are often perverse,” he said.

“It has been a privilege to represent Antoinette Lattouf in this important case about corporate cancel culture.”

He said a significant penalty would be sought at an upcoming hearing to deter the broadcaster from similar conduct.

ABC managing director Hugh Marks said it was regrettable the matter was not resolved despite the organisation’s best efforts.

“It’s clear the matter was not handled in line with our values and expectations,” he said. 

“We also let down our staff and audiences, and this failure has caused understandable concern among the public and inside the organisation.”

Lattouf argued at a hearing in February that then-ABC chair Ita Buttrose, former content chief Chris Oliver-Taylor and former managing director David Anderson were responsible for her termination.

But Justice Rangiah found the decision was solely Mr Oliver-Taylor’s as he tried to mitigate further complaints about the broadcaster employing someone with Lattouf’s political opinions.

“Mr Oliver-Taylor sought to appease members of the public, who would attribute to Ms Lattouf the holding of anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic opinions, by taking her off air,” he said.

But Mr Anderson made a “material contribution” to the decision by giving his views to Mr Oliver-Taylor that the fill-in host held anti-Semitic opinions.

Justice Rangiah accepted Mr Oliver-Taylor was put in a difficult position by Lattouf’s choice to share the controversial post.

“Ms Lattouf’s making of the (Human Rights Watch) post was ill-advised and inconsiderate of her employer,” he said.

“The ABC would have to brace itself for the inevitable criticism – whether fair or unfair – for permitting one of its presenters to make a controversial post and then allowing her to remain on air.”

The ABC’s claims the journalist was fired for breaching a direction not to post anything about Israel and Gaza during her time on air were also rejected.

“I find Ms Lattouf was merely provided with advice that it would be best not to post anything controversial about the war,” he said.

The judge rejected claims by Lattouf – who is of Lebanese heritage – that she was terminated because of her race or national extraction.

Justice Rangiah has been asked to refer the Nine-owned Fairfax Media and The Age for contempt of court proceedings over articles they wrote on the case.

The publications have been accused of naming individuals who complained about Lattouf despite court orders suppressing their identity over safety concerns.

A billion-dollar government fund aimed at getting apartments built will help developers clear a “major hurdle”, but the challenge of meeting an ambitious national housing target remains unresolved.

The yawning gap between NSW’s rate of building homes and a five-year national target to improve housing affordability has come into sharp focus as state Treasurer Daniel Mookhey spruiked his third budget.

The Labor treasurer will address big business at an economic forum on Wednesday, after delivering a $128 billion budget that some observers suggest was tailored to the top end of town.

Critics have questioned why the budget did not do more for the struggling health sector, household budgets and social services.

The budget forecasts 240,000 housing completions by 2029, exceeding the previous government’s forecast but falling drastically short of the 377,000 new homes targeted under a national housing agreement.

Mr Mookhey said the forecast was a point-in-time prediction and progress to speed up construction would be reflected in future forecasts.

“By the time we get to the next election (in March 2027), voters will see this government has spent four years doing everything it can to surge more building of the homes that people desperately want to buy and rent,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

Approval processes had quickened and the focus had shifted to construction, Planning Minister Paul Scully said.

“You can’t live in an approval,” he told reporters.

Tuesday’s 2025/26 budget featured increased investment in essential services and lower debt, complete with a $1 billion fund to help developers secure financing.

Proposals need to start within six months and developers will be assessed on credibility, capability and capacity before the government will help them reach a threshold of pre-sales to satisfy lenders.

“This is for good projects that are suffering from a tiny bit of a feasibility question, to get them over the line to start construction,” Mr Scully said.

Builders say construction is often delayed by a lack of pre-sales, making it harder to get finance.

“Pre-sales represent a major hurdle for new housing developments, especially higher-density housing and apartments,” Housing Industry Association NSW executive director Brad Armitage said.

Others were less impressed with the government’s finances, with NSW Greens MP Abigail Boyd labelling it “a budget for big business”.

“It’s a betrayal to all those in our communities doing it toughest … while leaving billions in uncollected revenue on the table from big business,” she said.

Among the Greens’ gripes was a failure to tweak gambling taxes exempting clubs from tax on their first million dollars of poker machine profits.

Hotels begin paying tax at $200,000.

The Australian Medical Association criticised “little meaningful funding for the state’s ailing public health system”.

“Doctors on the frontline are grappling with more acutely unwell patients with increasingly complex healthcare needs and the funding provided in this budget fails to address that,” AMA NSW president Kathryn Austin said.

A deficit of $3.4 billion is forecast for the 2025/26 financial year, falling to $1.1 billion in 2026/27.

Modest surpluses of $1.1 billion are projected in the following two years.

A surprise fall in inflation has boosted hopes of an interest rate cut after a key measure dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed headline inflation fell from 2.4 per cent to 2.1 per cent in May.

The monthly figures also showed a sharp drop in trimmed mean inflation, which removes volatile price rises, from 2.8 per cent to 2.4 per cent in the month.

It’s the lowest level for trimmed mean inflation since November 2021.

The trimmed mean is the preferred measure of the Reserve Bank when assessing inflation and the drop has bolstered the prospect of a rate cut when the board meets next in July.

Experts put the chance of another reduction, which will be welcomed by cash-strapped borrowers, at a near-certainty after the better-than-expected inflation figures.

Economists had tipped inflation to be on hold at 2.4 per cent for the month.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the battle against inflation was not over but the figures were a welcome development.

“The progress we’re making together on inflation is substantial and it means that it’s sustained,” he told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday.

“I didn’t say it’s mission accomplished, but we are certainly making more progress than was expected.

 “We’re further along the path than economists were anticipating today, and that’s a very good thing.”

May’s figures were the sixth month in a row both headline inflation and the trimmed mean were in the Reserve Bank’s target range of between two and three per cent.

IG Australia market analyst Tony Sycamore said the odds of a 25-basis point rate cut in July had grown from 80 per cent to 93 per cent since the release of inflation numbers.

Economists have tipped a further three rate cuts before the end of 2025, which could lead to the cash rate falling to 3.1 per cent.

The largest contribution to the price rises came from an increase in food and non-alcoholic beverage costs, up 2.9 per cent in the 12 months to May, housing, up two per cent, and alcohol and tobacco, up 5.9 per cent.

The bureau’s head of price statistics Michelle Marquardt said the cost of coffee and tea had helped to drive up the prices of non-alcoholic drinks by 5.2 per cent.

“Higher prices for coffee drove the rise with adverse weather conditions impacting major overseas coffee bean-growing areas,” she said.

But there was only a small rise in holiday travel costs, which were up 0.6 per cent in the 12 months to May, down from the sharp 5.3 per cent increase recorded for April.

Despite unrest in the Middle East, the price of fuel fell by 10 per cent in the year to May, with petrol prices at their lowest levels since September 2022.

“Across capital cities the average price for unleaded petrol in May was $1.73 per litre,” Ms Marquardt said.

“This is 20 cents lower than 12 months ago and significantly below the peak monthly average price of $2.07 per litre in September 2023.”

While the monthly figures were more volatile than the closely watched quarterly data, Dr Chalmers said it was reassuring there had been a reduction in inflation in a period of global tensions.

“The Australian economy is not immune from instability in the Middle East, including from the recent volatility in global oil prices,” he said.

“That’s why the progress we have made together in the economy is so important.”

Anthony Albanese has weighed in on Donald Trump dropping the F-bomb after becoming frustrated that Iran and Israel violated a ceasefire brokered by the US president.

The US president attacked on both nations for breaching the agreement in the early stages, saying “they don’t know what the f*** they are doing” on live television.

His comments came after Israel accused Iran of breaking the truce.

The prime minister said Mr Trump’s views on the situation in the Middle East were obvious, while also calling for the ceasefire agreement to remain in effect.

“President Trump made some pretty clear statements. I don’t think it needs any further reflection. I think that he stated his views pretty abruptly and I think they were very clear,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Launceston on Wednesday.

“We want to see peace in the region, we want to see a ceasefire, we want to see de-escalation, and that is consistent with the very clear comments of President Trump.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Australians shouldn’t be concerned about the words used.

“Far be it from for Australians to quibble with that kind of language,” he told Sky News on Wednesday.

“We heard some blunt speak from the president, and I think that just reflects the fact that the stakes are high in the Middle East.

“I think those who haven’t used that word privately can cast the first stone.”

Meanwhile, a Royal Australian Air Force jet carrying more than 100 Australians trying to escape the conflict in the Middle East, has flown out of Israel after airspace was reopened.

Speaking from the NATO summit at The Hague, Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed that the 119 passengers left Tel Aviv in the early hours of Wednesday.

Mr Marles said the government had also chartered civilian aircraft for future departures “in certain circumstances”.

There are still about 3000 Australians in Iran who have registered with the government for help to leave, and more than 1000 in Israel. 

The prime minister said it was a welcome development that Australians had managed to leave the region safely.

“That is very good news. We will always prioritise the safety of Australians,” Mr Albanese said.

“The situation is obviously very volatile there, our hope is that Australians are kept safe. So at the moment there are, of course, not flights out of Iran.”

The latest conflict erupted on June 13, when Israel fired missiles at Iran in a bid to blow up military assets, arguing it was on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons.

The battle took a turn on the weekend when the US launched a bombing raid on Iran, blowing up three underground nuclear facilities.

The airspace in both countries was shut to passenger aircraft, leading to the evacuation of Australian embassy staff and their dependents from Tehran.

But the current ceasefire has not calmed the fears of Iranians in Australia who are worried about bombs killing their friends and family and the threat posed by Iran’s autocratic Islamic government.

Persian Australian Community Association member Nader Ranjbar, there was hope the conflict could help de-stabilise the Iranian autocracy and pave the way for a new, democratic government.

Without a new regime, he is concerned that the current administration will intensify its persecution of the Iranian people.

“That’s my worst fear,” he told AAP.

“That somehow they get away from this mess and the first thing they do is start killing Iranian people.”

A casual ABC radio host will receive $70,000 in damages after being fired from the national broadcaster over an “inconsiderate” post about Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Antoinette Lattouf was hired for a week-long stint on ABC Radio Sydney’s Mornings program before Christmas 2023.

She was fired in a “state of panic” at the broadcaster hours after staff learned she had shared a Human Rights Watch post claiming Israel was using starvation as a “weapon of war” in Gaza.

The 41-year-old won her unlawful termination case in the Federal Court on Wednesday, when Justice Darryl Rangiah handed down his decision in a courtroom full of her supporters.

He found the ABC breached Australian employment law by dismissing the journalist for reasons that included her political opinion.

At the time, the broadcaster was under pressure from an orchestrated campaign of complaints against Lattouf by a pro-Israel lobbyist group.

The national broadcaster also did not give her the chance to defend the allegations against her, merely showing her the door, the judge found.

The ABC was ordered to pay $70,000 in compensation to Lattouf for the emotional distress the termination had caused.

In February, the ABC confirmed at a parliamentary hearing that it had spent $1.1 million on legal fees defending the case, although the judge is yet to make a decision about costs.

A potential pecuniary penalty will also be determined at a later hearing.

Lattouf argued at a hearing in February that then-ABC chair Ita Buttrose, former content chief Chris Oliver-Taylor and former managing director David Anderson were responsible for her termination.

But Justice Rangiah found the decision was solely Mr Oliver-Taylor’s as he tried to mitigate further complaints about the broadcaster employing someone with Lattouf’s political opinions.

“Mr Oliver-Taylor sought to appease members of the public who would attribute to Ms Lattouf the holding of anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic opinions by taking her off air,” he said.

Mr Anderson made a “material contribution” to the decision, however, by giving his views to Mr Oliver-Taylor that the fill-in host held anti-Semitic opinions.

Justice Rangiah accepted Mr Oliver-Taylor was put in a difficult position by Lattouf’s choice to share the controversial post.

“Ms Lattouf’s making of the HRW Post was ill-advised and inconsiderate of her employer,” he said.

“The ABC would have to brace itself for the inevitable criticism – whether fair or unfair – for permitting one of its presenters to make a controversial post and then allowing her to remain on air.”

The ABC’s claims the journalist was fired for breaching a direction not to post anything about Israel and Gaza during her five days on air were also rejected.

“I find Ms Lattouf was merely provided with advice that it would be best not to post anything controversial about the war,” he said.

The judge rejected claims by Lattouf – who is of Lebanese heritage – that she was terminated due to her race or national extraction.

A casual ABC radio host will be paid $70,000 in damages by the national broadcaster for her unlawful dismissal after she was taken off air over a post on the conflict in Gaza.

Antoinette Lattouf was hired for a week-long stint on ABC Radio Sydney’s Mornings program before Christmas 2023.

She was let go after sharing a Human Rights Watch post that said Israel was using starvation as a “weapon of war” in Gaza.

The 41-year-old took her unlawful termination case to the Federal Court and Justice Darryl Rangiah handed down his judgment in a courtroom full of her supporters on Wednesday.

The judge ordered the ABC to pay $70,000 in compensation to Lattouf.

A potential pecuniary penalty will be determined at a later hearing.

He did not order any penalties against the national broadcaster as sought by the journalist.

During a hearing in February, she claimed she was fired from the job because of her race and political opinion after publicly commenting on the plight of Palestinians during the ongoing conflict with Israel

Justice Rangiah heard Lattouf was let go 48 hours into a campaign by a pro-Israeli group which sent a barrage of complaints to ABC executives including then-chair Ita Buttrose.

The public broadcaster was accused of taking a partisan view despite claiming to be an impartial news source.

However, the ABC denied this.

The broadcaster claimed it took Lattouf off the air because she failed to follow a direction not to post about Israel or the war in Gaza during her five-day shift.

She rejected this, saying her direct supervisor, Elizabeth Green, agreed she could post facts from reputable sources.

As well as Ms Buttrose, she also targeted the ABC’s former content chief Chris Oliver-Taylor and former managing director David Anderson as being responsible for the allegedly unlawful termination.

She blamed the broadcaster for making her sacking public after an article in The Australian was put out before she had returned home the day she was fired.

ABC executives blamed head of capital city networks Steve Ahern for putting the organisation in an “unacceptable position” by failing to assess Lattouf’s history before hiring her, the court previously was told.

Visiting more than one supermarket has proven to be the smartest approach for shoppers, as data shows prices for everyday essentials continue to vary widely.

Data from consumer advocacy group Choice found that, even without specials, prices differed across the big four supermarkets, with Aldi emerging as the best for overall value. 

Choice sent mystery shoppers to 104 supermarkets across Australia in March to compare the prices of 14 common grocery items.

The items included popular winter buys such as vegetable stock, sour cream, drinking chocolate, butternut pumpkin, quick oats, garlic, and onions.

Choice says the products were matched as closely as possible based on pack size, ingredients, and country of origin.

The data showed Aldi offered the most value, with the full basket of products costing just $55.35.

Woolworths was not far behind at $58.92, while the Coles basket without specials came in at $59.22.

The most expensive shop was IGA at $69.74, although it did prove cheapest for carrots and garlic. 

Without specials, Coles had the best deal on apples, while Woolworths had the cheapest chicken breasts and pumpkin.

“All up, if you’re planning a hearty porridge breakfast, or wanting a cup of hot chocolate to keep you feeling snug, Aldi should be your first stop,” Choice chief executive Ashley de Silva said.

“But, as always, there are lots of other ways to save on your weekly grocery shop. Checking the unit pricing, keeping an eye on specials, shopping around, and trying out house brand products can all add up to significant savings.”

The cost comparison comes just months after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission released its final report into supermarkets, finding major chains had little incentive to be competitive on pricing due to their large market share.

The commission said Coles, Woolworths and Aldi faced little competition and had increased average product margins over the past five years, but stopped short of accusing them of price gouging.

Aldi holds a market share of approximately 9.5 per cent, making it the third-largest supermarket chain in the nation, behind Woolworths at 37.1 per cent and Coles at 27.9 per cent.

The smallest of the four major supermarkets, IGA, holds a 6.9 per cent share of the market.

Blunt-speaking Australians shouldn’t “quibble” at Donald Trump’s F-bomb, after he voiced his frustration with Israel and Iran for violating the ceasefire he brokered.

The US president launched an attack on both nations for breaching the agreement, saying “they don’t know what the f*** they are doing” on live television.

His comments came after Israel accused Iran of breaking the truce.

But Mr Trump lashed Israel for the number of bombs he claimed it dropped between the deal being made and the ceasefire taking effect.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Australians shouldn’t be concerned about the words used.

“Far be it from for Australians to quibble with that kind of language,” he told Sky News on Wednesday.

“We heard some blunt speak from the president, and I think that just reflects the fact that the stakes are high in the Middle East.

“I think those who haven’t used that word privately can cast the first stone.”

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan had a light-hearted take on the president’s outburst.

“Ultimately, it’s better that F-bombs are dropped than real bombs, isn’t it? So let’s hope this ceasefire does hold,” he told Nine’s Today show.

Meanwhile, a Royal Australian Air Force jet carrying more than 100 Australians trying to escape the conflict in the Middle East, has flown out of Israel after airspace was reopened.

Speaking from the NATO summit at The Hague, Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed the 119 passengers left Tel Aviv in the early hours of Wednesday.

“We were very pleased to be able to provide that flight, and they’ve now been relocated to a place within the region, which is obviously outside of the danger zone,” he told reporters.

“We continue to have (military) assets in the region ready to be able to provide assistance.”

Mr Marles said the government had also chartered civilian aircraft for future departures “in certain circumstances”.

The evacuees were taken out in a KC-30 RAAF jet.

There are still about 3000 Australians in Iran who’ve registered with the government for help to leave, and more than 1000 in Israel. 

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said assisted departure flights from Iran were still not possible.

The latest conflict erupted on June 13, when Israel fired missiles at Iran in a bid to blow up military assets, arguing it was on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons.

The battle took a turn on the weekend when the US launched a bombing raid on Iran, blowing up three underground nuclear facilities.

The airspace in both countries was shut to passenger aircraft, leading to the evacuation of Australian embassy staff and their dependents from Tehran.

But the current ceasefire has not calmed the fears of Iranians in Australia.

The Australian-Iranian community lives in fear of US or Israeli bombs killing their friends and family while also worrying about the threat posed by Iran’s autocratic Islamic government to their loved ones.

Persian Australian Community Association member Nader Ranjbar, there was hope the conflict could help de-stabilise the Iranian autocracy and pave the way for a new, democratic government.

Without a new regime, he is concerned that the current administration will intensify its persecution of the Iranian people.

“That’s my worst fear,” he told AAP.

“That somehow they get away from this mess and the first thing they do is start killing Iranian people.”