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Australia has issued a warning about potential “reprisal attacks and further escalation” in the Middle East following military actions by Israel and the United States against Iran. This development has reignited tensions in the region.
Israel announced that it carried out a “pre-emptive strike” on Iran. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump took to the Truth social media platform to reveal that the U.S. had initiated a “massive and ongoing” operation, emphasizing their commitment to preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
This military action occurred just a day after Oman, which has been mediating talks between the U.S. and Iran over longstanding nuclear issues, reported that both sides had achieved “significant progress” in their discussions.
In response to the attack, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its Smartraveller website, confirming reports of air strikes on Iran, including in the capital city, Tehran.
The Smartraveller advisory noted, “There is a risk of reprisal attacks and further escalation across the region.” It also warned that the closure of airspace around key transit hubs could lead to global flight delays and cancellations.
DFAT had said earlier this week told Australian diplomats’ families in the Middle East to leave amid a “deteriorating security situation”.
“If you remain in Iran, be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period. Make sure you have supplies of water, food and medication,” DFAT said in its update on Saturday.
The US military initiated a series of strikes against targets in Iran, two US officials told the Reuters news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity. The scope of the air and sea operations was not immediately clear. The campaign is expected to last for multiple days, said a US official.
The Israel Defense Forces later said that it had identified “missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel”. An Iranian official had earlier told Reuters a crushing retaliation was being prepared.
On the issue of Iran’s ballistic missile programme, which was a significant sticking point in negotiations, Trump said Iran was developing long-range missiles that threaten the US and others and threatened to raze their missile industry.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said.
The attack follows a 12-day air war in June between Israel and Iran and repeated US-Israeli warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
The Iranian regime has always denied claims it’s pursuing nuclear weapons, saying its program is aimed at “developing civilian nuclear power”.
A source told Reuters that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not in Tehran and had been transferred to a secure location.
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