Khaberni - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced today, Thursday, the deployment of military units in the Middle East as a precautionary measure.
Albanese said during his speech before the Australian Parliament: "I thank the Australians who are heading to a dangerous situation to help their fellow citizens."
This statement comes after several days from a statement by the Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who said that her country would not participate in any military operations in Iran, ruling out the deployment of forces in the Middle East if the conflict escalates. She added that the Australian government is conducting talks with airlines to assist Australians stranded in the Middle East, but she acknowledged that evacuation plans would be difficult as most of the region's airspace continues to be closed.
She mentioned that about 115,000 Australians are in the region, and that the most feasible option to bring them home is the resumption of commercial airline services. She refused to disclose whether the government is planning repatriation flights.
Since last Saturday morning, Iran has been under ongoing American-Israeli attacks, resulting in civilian casualties and the deaths of dozens of leaders, including the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, amid fears of an expanding confrontation and sliding into a prolonged conflict.
