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TRANSCRIPT
Australia's Defence Minister confirms the nation is not a participant in the US-led war against Iran
The government under pressure to return Australians stranded across the Middle East
FIFA world cup bosses face a tough dilemma over Iran's ability to compete in the US based tournament
Defence Minister Richard Marles has confirmed Australia is not participating in the current US and Israeli military actions against Iran.
Mr Marles addressed the media this morning to clarify the government’s position, and says it is monitoring the US and Israeli strikes very closely.
He is avoiding commenting on the legality of the strikes and instead focuses on the security threats posed by foreign nuclear ambitions.
"Well, I mean, what is unlawful is for Iran to be seeking to acquire a nuclear weapon capability. I mean, that flies in the face of the Non Proliferation Treaty and the international regime which is in place to limit the expansion of nuclear weapons."
As US President Donald Trump warns of a big wave of further attacks on Iran, the U-N Security Council is under pressure to act over the US and Israel's strikes.
Iran's UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani says the strikes on the weekend were unlawful.
He wants the UN to impose consequences.
Israel has attacked Lebanon in response to strikes by Hezbollah and Tehran is continuing to launch missile and drone attacks on Gulf states including Dubai and Bahrain.
Mr Iravani is defending Iran's actions as defensive.
“We are not attacking the interests of other neighboring countries. We are defending ourselves. We are targeting the facilities and the bases and assets of the United States in this country, in those countries, which is out of the control of the host countries.
The Australian Government is under pressure to find a means to repatriate citizens stranded overseas in the escalating Middle East conflict .
Liberal senators have called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to approve use of military planes for repatriation, but Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said that won't be possible while air spaces are closed.
Airlines including Etihad and Emirates have resumed flights to enable the return of travellers and some repatriations from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, with ongoing negotiations with DFAT to facilitate Australians' return.
Lisa Segelov lives in Tel Aviv with her children and tells Channel 7 her family has been sheltering in the face of ongoing missile attacks.
"The orders are that we just stay close to home. There are emergency regulations in place. There is no school, only essential services are running. Only the supermarkets are open, basically. And that is how it is going to be until at least Saturday night."
The Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives in Australia today for a high-profile three-day official visit.
He is meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney and Canberra to discuss regional security and critical mineral agreements.
These diplomatic talks are focusing on strengthening economic ties and addressing the escalating conflict in Iran.
Mr Carney will also address the federal parliament and the Lowy Institute to advocate for middle powers acting as a unified global bloc.
A new federal report is showing that men remain almost twice as likely as women to earn high salaries in Australia.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency is releasing these results for 10,500 employers today to track progress on the national gender pay gap.
The data is highlighting a persistent gap in the highest earning brackets despite a slight increase in female representation in the workplace.
The report reveals men are 1.8 times more likely than women to occupy the top earning quartile with an average salary of $221,000.
Tonight a blood moon will appear in the skies above Australia, a phenomenon that can occur when the sun, earth and moon are aligned.
The Earth will block the sun's light from the moon in a total lunar eclipse and give the moon a red colour.
Dhara Patel, a space expert, at the National Space Centre in the UK, explained the visual phenomenon as sunlight being bent by the atmosphere of the Earth, which redirects the light onto the moon.
To sport and in football,
100 days out from the FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles, Iran's place in the tournament is in doubt.
For the first time in history, two qualifying nations are at war with one another, with the United States also hosting the competition in a little over three months.
Last year, Iran secured their place at a fourth successive World Cup by topping Group A.
In December's draw, Iran was grouped with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand, with all three Group G matches scheduled for U-S venues - two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
A rapidly evolving conflict in the Middle East, triggered by US and Israeli attacks on Iran, has also raised concerns World Cup games could become a terrorism target.
The 23rd World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
