Australia has ordered all non-essential officials in Israel and the United Arab Emirates to leave due to the “deteriorating security situation,” the country’s top diplomat announced on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong posted on X that “essential Australian officials will remain in-country to support Australians who need it,” while urging citizens to avoid travel to the region.
“We urge you to leave the Middle East if you can and if it’s safe to do so,” Wong said. “Don’t wait until it’s too late. It may be the last chance for some time.”
Canberra estimates that about 115,000 Australian nationals are currently in the Middle East, with approximately 2,600 having already returned home.
The move comes after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggering wider regional conflict.
Iran has since retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel as well as Gulf states, including the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar.
According to officials, 14 people have been killed in Israel since the start of the conflict, while attacks in Gulf nations have resulted in 24 deaths, including 11 civilians and seven US military personnel. In Iran, the health ministry reported more than 1,200 fatalities, with hundreds more dead in Lebanon.
Australia has publicly backed the US-Israeli strikes, describing them as necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In response to rising risks, Canberra announced this week it would deploy a long-range military reconnaissance plane to the Gulf to help protect civilians.
