Australia monitoring Middle East tensions 'very closely' following Iran missile strikes

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australian troops will remain in Iraq, but the government will "monitor events very closely".

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Thursday, January 9, 2020. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Thursday, January 9, 2020. Source: AAP

The Australian government is keeping a close eye on tensions in the Middle East but won't be pulling troops after Iranian missile strikes.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the situation in Iraq had stabilised since Iran launched more than a dozen missiles against two US-led military bases there on Wednesday.

Australian troops close to the attacked Al-Assad base were confirmed safe, with another 300 diggers further north unaffected by the rocket strikes.

Mr Morrison has discussed the unfolding situation in Iraq with other coalition partners, including the prime ministers of New Zealand and Canada.
"The events of the last 48 hours ... we've had to look at very closely, and the national security committee has been meeting regularly on this issue," Mr Morrison told ABC's 7.30 on Thursday night.

"We'll obviously continue to monitor events very closely with our partners."

The Prime Minister said he was committed to the mission in Iraq and still plans on sending a Navy warship to the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East on Monday.

HMAS Toowoomba will be part of a US-military mission to protect oil tankers off the coast of Iran.

"We will continue to assess the situation but its tasking remains as I've previously outlined," Mr Morrison said.

Australia has also not ruled out following the US in imposing further economic sanctions on Iran.


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