Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has played down a report the United States could be preparing to bomb Iran as early as next month.
The ABC has cited unnamed senior security figures within the federal government as saying they believed the US was eyeing Iran's nuclear facilities.
The top-secret Pine Gap base in the Northern Territory and other Australian defence facilities could play a role in identifying targets, the ABC reported on Friday.
But the prime minister rejected this as "speculation".
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull attends the Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council. Source: AAP
"The story on the ABC, which cites senior Australian government sources, has not benefited from any consultation with me, the foreign minister, the defence minister or the chief of the defence force," he told ABC radio.
"So perhaps you should inquire of the authors of the article."
The report also quoted one senior security source who emphasised the difference between providing accurate intelligence information on Iran's facilities, compared to participating in a "kinetic" mission.
"Providing intelligence and understanding as to what is happening on the ground so that the Government and allied governments are fully informed to make decisions is different to active targeting," the source told ABC.
Central Australia's Pine Gap defence facility reportedly plays a key role in helping the 'Five Eyes' identify intel.
Five Eyes is considered the world's most significant intelligence partnership between the US, Australia, UK, Canada and New Zealand.
Trump and Rouhani threats
US President Donald Trump and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani have locked horns in recent weeks as the US has increased its campaign against Iran.
On Tuesday, Mr Trump hit back at comments by Iran's president, warning him of consequences "the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered".
"NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE," Trump said on Twitter in a direct message to President Hassan Rouhani, who earlier Sunday warned Trump not to "play with the lion's tail," saying that conflict with Iran would be the "mother of all wars".
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hit back at the threats from the president on Twitter, warning him to "BE CAUTIOUS!"
Mimicking Trump's bellicose Twitter threat directed at Iran's leaders the previous day, Zarif wrote: "UNIMPRESSED ... We’ve been around for millennia & seen fall of empires, incl our own, which lasted more than the life of some countries. BE CAUTIOUS!"
Mr Trump's social media sparring with Iran is reminiscent of his war of words with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un before the historic peace summit in June this year.
