Govt receiving calls from stranded Australians as Israel-Iran conflict escalates

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12 hours ago

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says the Australian government has received pleas for help from citizens trapped in the Middle East, as the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran sparks fears of a broader regional conflict.
"We've had a number of contacts from there, relatively small in the context of the Australian population in both these countries, but that is very much there," Mr Marles, who is also the Defence Minister, told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
He said thousands of Australians were in Iran and Israel, where hundreds of people have been killed since Israel launched a large-scale strike targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and military infrastructure on June 13.
"Right now, air space over Iran and Israel is closed, so our message to them is to shelter in place," Mr Marles said ahead of a security summit in Parliament House.
"Watch very closely the Smartraveller website and the advice which is contained on that and, if needs be, to contact the emergency consular contact numbers."
He urged Australians to heed the official travel advice, which "for both Israel and Iran is to do not travel," after the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its travel advisory over the weekend.
Australian embassy staff and Defence Force personnel in the Middle East were "all accounted for and they are safe", Mr Marles said.
"We have a number of defence force personnel, a small number around the region. They, too, are all accounted for and safe, but we will continue to monitor their ongoing safety."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined calls for Israel and Iran to de-escalate their bombing campaigns, telling reporters in Canada on Monday he had discussed the conflict with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of the G7 summit.
"Both of us share a view wanting to see a de-escalation of conflict, wanting to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy," Mr Albanese said.
"I have expressed before our concern about Iran gaining the capacity of nuclear weapons as something that is a threat to security in the region.
"But we, along with other like-minded countries, do want to see that priority on dialogue and diplomacy."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters in Alberta, Canada that the conflict between Israel and Iran would be "very high on the agenda of the G7 summit" and that he wanted Iran to not develop or possess nuclear weapons.
US President Donald Trump said before leaving for Canada, when asked about his approach to the conflict: "I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal."
"Sometimes they have to fight it out," Mr Trump, who is due to meet with Mr Albanese for their first face-to-face meeting this week, said.
Asked if he would raise with the President the need for Israel to allow international aid into Gaza, Mr Albanese said this would not be the focus of the talks.
"The discussion with President Trump, I expect will be very much about Australia and the United States and our relations," he told reporters in Alberta. "We've got a few things to talk about."
Iran's health ministry said 224 people have been killed in the attacks since Friday.
Spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said on social media that 1277 other people were hospitalised, and asserted that more than 90 per cent of the casualties were civilians.
Israeli rescue teams combed through the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by Iranian missiles on Sunday, using sniffer dogs and heavy excavators to look for survivors after at least 10 people, including children, were killed, raising the two-day toll to 13.
With AAP
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says the Australian government has received pleas for help from citizens trapped in the Middle East, as the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran sparks fears of a broader regional conflict.
"We've had a number of contacts from there, relatively small in the context of the Australian population in both these countries, but that is very much there," Mr Marles, who is also the Defence Minister, told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
He said thousands of Australians were in Iran and Israel, where hundreds of people have been killed since Israel launched a large-scale strike targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and military infrastructure on June 13.
"Right now, air space over Iran and Israel is closed, so our message to them is to shelter in place," Mr Marles said ahead of a security summit in Parliament House.
"Watch very closely the Smartraveller website and the advice which is contained on that and, if needs be, to contact the emergency consular contact numbers."
He urged Australians to heed the official travel advice, which "for both Israel and Iran is to do not travel," after the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its travel advisory over the weekend.
Australian embassy staff and Defence Force personnel in the Middle East were "all accounted for and they are safe", Mr Marles said.
"We have a number of defence force personnel, a small number around the region. They, too, are all accounted for and safe, but we will continue to monitor their ongoing safety."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined calls for Israel and Iran to de-escalate their bombing campaigns, telling reporters in Canada on Monday he had discussed the conflict with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of the G7 summit.
"Both of us share a view wanting to see a de-escalation of conflict, wanting to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy," Mr Albanese said.
"I have expressed before our concern about Iran gaining the capacity of nuclear weapons as something that is a threat to security in the region.
"But we, along with other like-minded countries, do want to see that priority on dialogue and diplomacy."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters in Alberta, Canada that the conflict between Israel and Iran would be "very high on the agenda of the G7 summit" and that he wanted Iran to not develop or possess nuclear weapons.
US President Donald Trump said before leaving for Canada, when asked about his approach to the conflict: "I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal."
"Sometimes they have to fight it out," Mr Trump, who is due to meet with Mr Albanese for their first face-to-face meeting this week, said.
Asked if he would raise with the President the need for Israel to allow international aid into Gaza, Mr Albanese said this would not be the focus of the talks.
"The discussion with President Trump, I expect will be very much about Australia and the United States and our relations," he told reporters in Alberta. "We've got a few things to talk about."
Iran's health ministry said 224 people have been killed in the attacks since Friday.
Spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said on social media that 1277 other people were hospitalised, and asserted that more than 90 per cent of the casualties were civilians.
Israeli rescue teams combed through the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by Iranian missiles on Sunday, using sniffer dogs and heavy excavators to look for survivors after at least 10 people, including children, were killed, raising the two-day toll to 13.
With AAP
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says the Australian government has received pleas for help from citizens trapped in the Middle East, as the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran sparks fears of a broader regional conflict.
"We've had a number of contacts from there, relatively small in the context of the Australian population in both these countries, but that is very much there," Mr Marles, who is also the Defence Minister, told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
He said thousands of Australians were in Iran and Israel, where hundreds of people have been killed since Israel launched a large-scale strike targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and military infrastructure on June 13.
"Right now, air space over Iran and Israel is closed, so our message to them is to shelter in place," Mr Marles said ahead of a security summit in Parliament House.
"Watch very closely the Smartraveller website and the advice which is contained on that and, if needs be, to contact the emergency consular contact numbers."
He urged Australians to heed the official travel advice, which "for both Israel and Iran is to do not travel," after the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its travel advisory over the weekend.
Australian embassy staff and Defence Force personnel in the Middle East were "all accounted for and they are safe", Mr Marles said.
"We have a number of defence force personnel, a small number around the region. They, too, are all accounted for and safe, but we will continue to monitor their ongoing safety."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined calls for Israel and Iran to de-escalate their bombing campaigns, telling reporters in Canada on Monday he had discussed the conflict with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of the G7 summit.
"Both of us share a view wanting to see a de-escalation of conflict, wanting to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy," Mr Albanese said.
"I have expressed before our concern about Iran gaining the capacity of nuclear weapons as something that is a threat to security in the region.
"But we, along with other like-minded countries, do want to see that priority on dialogue and diplomacy."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters in Alberta, Canada that the conflict between Israel and Iran would be "very high on the agenda of the G7 summit" and that he wanted Iran to not develop or possess nuclear weapons.
US President Donald Trump said before leaving for Canada, when asked about his approach to the conflict: "I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal."
"Sometimes they have to fight it out," Mr Trump, who is due to meet with Mr Albanese for their first face-to-face meeting this week, said.
Asked if he would raise with the President the need for Israel to allow international aid into Gaza, Mr Albanese said this would not be the focus of the talks.
"The discussion with President Trump, I expect will be very much about Australia and the United States and our relations," he told reporters in Alberta. "We've got a few things to talk about."
Iran's health ministry said 224 people have been killed in the attacks since Friday.
Spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said on social media that 1277 other people were hospitalised, and asserted that more than 90 per cent of the casualties were civilians.
Israeli rescue teams combed through the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by Iranian missiles on Sunday, using sniffer dogs and heavy excavators to look for survivors after at least 10 people, including children, were killed, raising the two-day toll to 13.
With AAP
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says the Australian government has received pleas for help from citizens trapped in the Middle East, as the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran sparks fears of a broader regional conflict.
"We've had a number of contacts from there, relatively small in the context of the Australian population in both these countries, but that is very much there," Mr Marles, who is also the Defence Minister, told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
He said thousands of Australians were in Iran and Israel, where hundreds of people have been killed since Israel launched a large-scale strike targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and military infrastructure on June 13.
"Right now, air space over Iran and Israel is closed, so our message to them is to shelter in place," Mr Marles said ahead of a security summit in Parliament House.
"Watch very closely the Smartraveller website and the advice which is contained on that and, if needs be, to contact the emergency consular contact numbers."
He urged Australians to heed the official travel advice, which "for both Israel and Iran is to do not travel," after the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its travel advisory over the weekend.
Australian embassy staff and Defence Force personnel in the Middle East were "all accounted for and they are safe", Mr Marles said.
"We have a number of defence force personnel, a small number around the region. They, too, are all accounted for and safe, but we will continue to monitor their ongoing safety."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined calls for Israel and Iran to de-escalate their bombing campaigns, telling reporters in Canada on Monday he had discussed the conflict with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of the G7 summit.
"Both of us share a view wanting to see a de-escalation of conflict, wanting to prioritise dialogue and diplomacy," Mr Albanese said.
"I have expressed before our concern about Iran gaining the capacity of nuclear weapons as something that is a threat to security in the region.
"But we, along with other like-minded countries, do want to see that priority on dialogue and diplomacy."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters in Alberta, Canada that the conflict between Israel and Iran would be "very high on the agenda of the G7 summit" and that he wanted Iran to not develop or possess nuclear weapons.
US President Donald Trump said before leaving for Canada, when asked about his approach to the conflict: "I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal."
"Sometimes they have to fight it out," Mr Trump, who is due to meet with Mr Albanese for their first face-to-face meeting this week, said.
Asked if he would raise with the President the need for Israel to allow international aid into Gaza, Mr Albanese said this would not be the focus of the talks.
"The discussion with President Trump, I expect will be very much about Australia and the United States and our relations," he told reporters in Alberta. "We've got a few things to talk about."
Iran's health ministry said 224 people have been killed in the attacks since Friday.
Spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said on social media that 1277 other people were hospitalised, and asserted that more than 90 per cent of the casualties were civilians.
Israeli rescue teams combed through the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by Iranian missiles on Sunday, using sniffer dogs and heavy excavators to look for survivors after at least 10 people, including children, were killed, raising the two-day toll to 13.
With AAP