Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that Australia will dispatch advanced weaponry and a reconnaissance aircraft to the Gulf to bolster regional security against Iranian strikes.
The prime minister noted on Tuesday that the conflict, which began just over a week ago, has seen a significant increase in the scale and depth of Iranian retaliatory actions. He highlighted that 12 nations in the region, stretching from Cyprus to the Gulf, are currently being targeted, reports Al Jazeera.
As part of this commitment, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is scheduled to deploy an E7A Wedgetail surveillance plane for a four-week period to monitor and protect regional airspace. This mission will involve 85 Australian personnel and is intended to support “collective self-defence”.
Additionally, Australia will supply the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, a decision reached following discussions with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Albanese justified the deployment by pointing to the safety of approximately 115,000 Australian citizens residing in the Middle East, including 24,000 based in the UAE. He clarified that these measures are purely for defensive purposes and do not involve the deployment of ground troops or offensive operations within Iran.
The move has faced swift condemnation from the Greens. Senator Larissa Waters argued that the government is dragging Australia into another “forever war” and an “illegal conflict” led by the United States and Israel.
She recalled the loss of more than 50 Australian personnel in previous US-led interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq and criticised the support for a military she linked to a primary school bombing that killed 150 children.
In a separate development, the government has granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women’s national football team.
The players, who were in Queensland for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, have been issued humanitarian visas and relocated to a secure environment with the support of the Australian Federal Police. Albanese stated that the women are now safe and should “feel at home” in Australia.
