The Australian government is considering offering military support to assist Gulf nations facing strikes from Iran, but will not participate in any ground troop deployment into Iran, the foreign minister has said.
The government confirmed nine flights had arrived from the Middle East to Australia since the US and Israeli strikes on Iran one week ago, with another three flights scheduled to arrive on Sunday. Dozens of Australians have also been bussed out of Qatar, which has a limited airspace, to Saudi Arabia to fly out of the region.
The foreign minister, Penny Wong, confirmed to the ABC’s Insiders on Sunday that the government has been asked to provide assistance against Iran’s driving missiles.
“Many countries which are non participants have been attacked by Iran through this,” Wong said.
“You would anticipate as a consequence that we have been asked for assistance and we will work through that carefully. And of course, we are.”
When asked if that meant assistance to protect them against Iran’s drone and missile attacks, Wong said: “Correct. And we will work through that in accordance with the position that I have outlined, which is we are not participating in offensive action against Iran.”
The announcement is a further step for the government which has maintained it will not take part in any “offensive” military action against Iran.
Wong reiterated that the government would not deploy Australian defence force personnel into the conflict.
“This is not Iraq, and we are not the Howard government, we are not asking Australians to accept Australian men and women being deployed into a ground war,” Wong said.
“We have made very clear the basis of the decision and the parameters of our engagement.”
Wong again defended the government’s claim that Australia has not been involved in offensive action, after three Australian personnel were confirmed on Friday to be on board the US submarine that torpedoed an Iranian war ship near Sri Lanka.
She said third country deployments of Australian personnel was “not a new thing”, but added that any Australian deployed overseas would still be subject to Australian law.
“It is not new for Australian defence personnel to be engaged in this way. when they are deployed to that one, we always have arrangements, to ensure that any personnel, comply with Australian law, Australian policy and Australian directives.”
On 5 March, Defence has launched Operation Beech, part of the consular effort to provide assistance to Australians stuck in the Middle East, deploying a Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster heavy transport aircraft and KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport as a precautionary measure.
Labor has continued to direct Australians to use commercial flight options to return home.
On Sunday, the government confirmed 1,549 Australians have arrived in Australia on nine commercial flights from the United Arab Emirates. There are a further three flights from the UAE landing in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth on Sunday. A total of 92 Australians have been bussed out of Qatar to Saudi Arabia, while Qatar Airways advised the government that 68 Australians departed Doha on Saturday to Europe.
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