Australia has closed its embassies in Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi and its consulate in Dubai, ordering all non-essential officials to leave both Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the two-week-old war between the United States, Israel, and Iran shows no signs of abating.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong told parliament that at least nine cities where Australian embassies and consulates are located have come under missile and drone attack. She warned the conflict was likely to intensify in the near term.
Essential Australian officials will remain in both countries to support citizens who require assistance, Wong said. Voluntary departures have also been extended to diplomat dependents in Jordan and Qatar.
The war has so far killed approximately 2,000 people and triggered the biggest disruption to global oil supplies in decades, pushing crude prices back above US$100 a barrel after Iranian attacks on Persian Gulf shipping escalated.
Canberra says roughly 115,000 Australian nationals are currently spread across the Middle East, with about 2,600 having already returned home. Wong urged those still in the region to leave while commercial travel options remain open, warning it could be their last chance for some time.
Australia has also deployed a Boeing E-7A Wedgetail early warning aircraft to the region and agreed to supply advanced air-to-air missiles to the UAE to help Gulf states defend against Iranian drone and missile attacks.
The conflict began on 28 February when the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran.
