In brief
- Australia has embassies in Tel Aviv and Beirut, which the government said would remain open.
- It comes amid a massive United States military buildup in the Middle East.
The federal government has directed the families of Australian embassy staff and officials posted in Israel and Lebanon to leave as tensions in the region escalate.
On Wednesday evening, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's (DFAT) Smartraveller service said it had updated its travel advice as a precautionary measure in response to the "deteriorating security situation in the Middle East".
Australia has embassies in Tel Aviv and Beirut, which the government said would remain open.
It comes amid a massive United States military buildup in the Middle East and a third round of talks this week between the US and Iran in Geneva over the latter's nuclear program.
If the negotiations fail, Trump has threatened to attack Iran, which other Middle East nations fear could spiral into more conflict in the region. Iran has vowed to retaliate "ferociously" against any attack by the US.
This week, the US ordered non-emergency personnel to leave its embassy in Beirut, as US President Donald Trump threatened strikes on Iran, which has close relations with the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
On Tuesday, Lebanon's foreign minister said his country fears its infrastructure could be hit by Israeli strikes if the situation with Iran escalates.
Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Iran-backed Hezbollah, usually saying it was targeting the group.
Last Friday, Israel carried out deadly strikes on what it called Hezbollah positions in eastern Lebanon and targets linked to the Palestinian group Hamas in the south.
Hezbollah said on Saturday that eight of its fighters had been killed, and vowed "resistance".
Its leader, Naim Qassem, said last month that any attack on Iran would also be an attack on Hezbollah.
Departures offered to families of diplomats in Jordan, Qatar, UAE
On Wednesday, DFAT said that given the "deteriorating" environment could result in airspace closures and other travel disruptions, the Australian government had also offered voluntary departures to all dependants of Australian officials in Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Australia's embassies in Amman, Doha and Abu Dhabi, as well as its consulate in Dubai, remained open.
Last Friday, DFAT issued updated advice on its website about the potential travel impacts if there was an "escalation of Middle East tensions", warning the situation was unpredictable, could get worse with little warning, and security risks could increase.
"Conflict in the Middle East could impact safety and security elsewhere. There is a risk of reprisal attacks and further escalation."
— With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse.
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