Penny Wong makes huge call on whether Australian troops will be deployed to Iran - as hundreds of fuel stations run dry ahead of the Easter long weekend

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed Australia will not deploy troops on the ground as the war rages on the Middle East.

'Australia is not taking offensive action against Iran and we are not deploying troops on the ground in Iran,' Wong said in a statement on Friday morning.

It comes after the Daily Telegraph reported that 90 Special Air Services (SAS) soldiers had been sent to Iran.

The publication stated the soldiers were sent to the region to help evacuate diplomats if the fighting escalated.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor delivered a nationally televised speech on Thursday night, sharply criticising Anthony Albanese for 'fuelling confusion' and failing to show leadership as Australia's fuel crisis deepens.

Taylor's address was the Coalition's formal response to Albanese's recent national broadcast, which itself was slammed for leaving Australians anxious and uncertain about the fuel supply outlook.

Taylor's speech argued that the crisis, now into its sixth week, had exposed the Albanese government as slow to act, secretive, and reactive.

'Australians deserve clarity and leadership,' Taylor said.

'Regrettably, both have been absent from our government.'

Taylor claimed the government had initially downplayed the scale of the shortage and then failed to respond decisively once the severity was conceded.

'The only thing the government has fuelled is confusion,' he said, arguing ministers kept vital information about fuel supplies from the public until forced by 'persistent Coalition questioning' in parliament.

Taylor offered limited praise. He acknowledged the government's decision to adopt the Coalition's policy to cut fuel excise, but stressed it only happened under pressure and was 'too late.'

'In a crisis, Australians deserve a government that's transparent and gives you the facts every day,' Taylor said.

The Liberal leader said that it had 'taken persistent Coalition questioning in parliament for this government to release any information'.

The Coalition leader's statement comes 24 hours after Albanese tried to reassure the country that fuel shortages were the result of panic buying, not supply chain collapse - an address which was criticised for raising alarm rather than easing it.

Hundreds of service stations around Australia are out of petrol leading into the Easter long weekend but a reduction in fuel prices will give some hope to anxious travellers.

Of the more than 8,000 service stations around the country, 653 - or eight per cent - are missing one or more grades of fuel.

Motorists will get an additional 5.7 cents a litre off their fuel until June 30 as part of a deal between federal and state governments to forgo some GST revenue, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday.

The move follows a cut to the fuel excise, reducing wholesale petrol and diesel costs by around 26 cents a litre.

While the price drops may provide some relief, the tourism sector remains under pressure, with motorists anxious about the cost and availability of fuel in some destinations.

Caravan parks more than a few hours away from the city were suffering the most from a decline in bookings, Caravan Industry Association general manager of research and insights Peter Clay told AAP.

"(Travellers are asking) is there fuel available? Is there diesel available where I'm going?" he said.

he cancellation rate for Easter normally sits at about 30 per cent, he said, and that had ticked up this year because of the fuel crisis.

Hotels have also taken a hit as Australians and foreigners cut back on travel, facing a decline in bookings of up to 10 per cent across the east coast capital cities compared to the same time in 2025, Accommodation Australia boss James Goodwin said.

"If you can afford it, if you are in a position to be able to travel, then don't put off that travel," he told AAP.

"Just make sure that you're looking around, that you're going to a place where you know that you can get the fuel, or make sure you fill up before you leave."

The daily average price of unleaded in recent weeks from March 23 to April 2.

Drivers refuel trucks with diesel fuel at an Ampol service station in Port Botany.