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TRANSCRIPT
Australia has answered a request from the United Arab Emirates, sending an E-7-A wedge tail aircraft and missiles to the gulf to protect civilians from attacks by Iran.
20 thousand Australians live in the U-A-E, which has intercepted more than 1500 hundred rockets and drones.
Defence Minister Richard Marles says 85 troops will leave Australia with the craft, today.
"The requests that we are meeting today and the announcements we are making today, all of this is in defence of the Gulf countries. That is the basis on which our personnel are being deployed and this equipment is being deployed.
12 countries across the Middle East have been drawn into the U-S and Israeli war with Iran and Hezbollah.
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The Greens are demanding the immediate withdrawal of Australian military assets from the Gulf.
They say Australian assets shouldn't be involved in what they believe to be an illegal conflict.
This push for de-escalation comes as the government deploys an AWACS surveillance aircraft to the region despite calls for a purely diplomatic extraction of citizens.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge is arguing that Australia should protects its long-term national interest by standing up to the U-S rather than providing tactical support for foreign strikes.
"Well, we know what this is for. This is to put an Australian military asset in the Gulf to free up other us military assets for their attack on iran and an AWAC, which is the military resource being deployed. Yes, it does detect incoming air threats but it can also direct outgoing air threats and can direct outgoing munitions into a war."
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Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australians in the Middle East are under increasing risk of attack, urging anyone who wants to leave to do so immediately.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade reports the overwhelming Australian travellers have left the Middle East, though thousands remain in the region by choice.
Senator Wong says as of this morning more than 2,600 Australians have returned on commercial flights and there will be more flights from Qatar this week.
"We encourage those who do wish to leave, do so now. Do so while commercial flights are still available, however limited. I emphasise that DFAT has directed the departure of all dependants of officials posted to the United Arab Emirates. This is because the security situation is deteriorating and is likely to get worse before it gets better."
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US President Donald Trump has held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has shared a proposal for a swift end to the war in Iran and other matters.
After the call, the US president has announced he is lifting some oil sanctions on Russia, which were imposed to penalise it for its war in Ukraine.
He says the move is being made while there is uncertainty over global supply out of the middle east, claiming Mr Putin wants to be helpful in resolving a war with one of Russia's key allies.
"And we obviously talked about the Middle East and he wants to be helpful. I said that you could be more helpful by getting the Ukraine-Russia war over with. That would be more helpful. But we had a very good talk and he wants to be very constructive. "
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government will help any of the women's Iranian football team who have not yet sought asylum here.
Five players have been granted humanitarian visas by the Australian Government this morning [[Tues]], after being taken into the protection of the Australian Federal Police.
Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Sarbali Alishah, Atefeh Ramezanizadeh, Mona Hamoudi and Zahra Ghanbari are staying in Australia, but Mr Albanese says the door is open to the rest of the team, too.
"This is a very delicate situation and it is up to them. But we say to them, if you want our help, help is here."
Concerns have been raised for the players' safety after they refused to sing the national anthem in their opening match of the Women's Asian Cup.
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Emergency flood warnings are in place across Queensland today [[Tues]], as heavy rainfall continues to fall in the north.
Bundaberg and the Fraser coast are under watch and act alerts, with an emergency warning for north Burnett.
Flash flooding is impacting communities from near Mackay down to Chinchilla, with Fraser Coast Mayor, George Seymour telling Channel 7 motorists safety is his top concern.
"We are concerned about the state of the roads, people driving. That is the major risk right now."
Parts of the Northern Territory are also being impacted by a tropical low, with around 700 people in emergency shelters in Katherine, which is still under an emergency flood warning.
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In cricket, Australia is resting star all-rounder Annabel Sutherland for this month's tour of the West Indies.
Sutherland was brilliant again in Australia's Test match victory over India in Perth last weekend, scoring a record third consecutive Test match century, and picking up six wickets.
But she's been left out of the 15-woman squad for the whie-ball tour of the Caribbean, with selectors saying they want to give her a break ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup, which begins in June in England.
The three one dayer, three Twenty20 tour of the Caribbean will be start of Sophie Molineux's reign as Australian captain in all formats, following the retirement of Alyssa Healy.
Molineux missed the test against India with a back injury, but Cricket Australia says she will be ready to go for the tour.
