Australia weighs defence help after Iranian attacks

SYDNEY, March 8 – Australia is considering requests from countries attacked by Iran for assistance to help protect them from drone and missile strikes, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday, while reiterating that Canberra would not participate in military operations inside Iran.

Wong said several nations that were not directly involved in the conflict had come under Iranian attack during the widening Middle East confrontation and had sought help from partners including Australia.“We’ve had many countries, which are non participants, (that) have been attacked by Iran through this,” Wong said in televised remarks. “You would anticipate as a consequence that we have been asked for assistance, and we will work through that carefully.”The comments came as fighting intensified across the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli strikes on targets in Iran and retaliatory Iranian attacks against countries hosting U.S. military facilities.Limited military roleWong said Australia would examine requests for assistance in line with its existing position that it would not join offensive military operations against Iran.Asked whether Australia could help defend countries targeted by Iranian missile and drone strikes, Wong responded: “Correct.”She said any support would be considered carefully and would remain consistent with the government’s policy of avoiding direct involvement in combat operations inside Iran.“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 and we have made clear we will not participate in any ground troop deployment,” Wong said.Australia, a longstanding ally of the United States and a member of several regional security partnerships, has previously contributed forces to international missions in the Middle East but has ruled out sending troops in the current conflict.Australian personnel and naval incidentPrime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that three Australian defence personnel had been on board a U.S. submarine that sank an Iranian warship with a torpedo in the Indian Ocean.Albanese stressed that the Australians present during the incident did not take part in the attack itself.The disclosure came as the military confrontation between Iran and a U.S.-Israeli coalition escalated sharply over the past week, drawing in multiple countries across the Gulf region.U.S. and Israeli aircraft have conducted strikes across Iranian territory, while several Gulf cities, including locations in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, have come under Iranian bombardment.Australians stranded in regionThe escalating conflict has also disrupted commercial flights and regional travel, leaving thousands of Australians stranded in parts of the Middle East.Wong said the government was working with airlines and other authorities to assist citizens attempting to leave affected areas.Australia’s foreign ministry has been monitoring the security situation across the region and coordinating efforts to help nationals return home safely as hostilities continue.The crisis has increased pressure on governments globally to respond to the widening conflict while balancing security commitments, diplomatic relations and the safety of their citizens abroad.