Australia has sent two military aircraft to the Middle East as part of emergency contingency planning, AFP reported on Thursday, citing two government officials.
The deployment includes a heavy transport aircraft and a refueling aircraft. These assets are part of a wider strategy to rescue Australian citizens from the region. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese informed parliament on Thursday that “military assets” were now located in the Middle East. While he declined to provide specific locations, he described the situation in the region as “volatile, dangerous and fast-moving.”
“Thank you to those Australians who put themselves in a dangerous situation to help their fellow citizens,” Albanese said.
The Prime Minister confirmed that flight EK414 is currently en route from Dubai to Sydney with more than 200 Australians on board. “It left Dubai at 9.16am Canberra time. We hope to have more flights in the air today,” he added.
During question time on Thursday, Albanese noted that six Australian emergency response units were now operating in the Gulf region. These units are working alongside military assets introduced earlier this week. Although the government has mobilized military support, officials have stressed that commercial aviation remains the most efficient way for the estimated 115,000 Australians in the region to return home.
The evacuation effort comes at a time when several countries are scrambling to repatriate their citizens. Regional tensions have risen following attacks on Iran that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
New Zealand orders military aircraft
In a similar move, New Zealand on Thursday commissioned two military aircraft to prepare to evacuate citizens.
New Zealand has around 3,000 citizens registered as Middle Easterners as the regional security situation continues to evolve, Reuters reported. Foreign Minister Winston Peters described the development as “fast-moving, dangerous and complex”, saying the government’s priority was to help New Zealanders in the region.
Peters said two aircraft and consulate staff have been put on alert, ready if conditions permit a civilian evacuation. With much of the region’s airspace closed and most commercial flights suspended, evacuation options remain limited. The government advised New Zealanders to shelter in place or take any safe and practical opportunity to leave.
The US-Israel-Iran War: Latest Developments
Iran fired more missiles at Israeli and US bases as the Middle East war entered its sixth day. Israel announced several incoming attacks early Thursday.
The Islamic Republic also said it was intercepting enemy missiles.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military said it had launched new strikes against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. At least eight people were killed there, according to Lebanon’s health ministry and state news agency.
Tehran has warned of the destruction of military and economic infrastructure in the Middle East, and the war has rattled financial markets, with much of it driven by what the price of oil is doing. At the beginning of Thursday, oil prices started to rise again.
