Iran news and live updates: Pete Hegseth declares America ‘didn’t start this war but we’re finishing it’

Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson says it’s a “good thing” Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and many of his senior officials have been “wiped off the map”.

“I think it is a good thing for Iran, a good thing for the Middle East, and a good thing for the world that these regime officials have been removed, and we hope for better days ahead for the Iranian people,” he told journalists in Canberra on Monday.

The Liberal Senator also welcomed the Albanese government’s response to the US-Israel strikes on Iran but added that Australia “should consider” any requests for support.

“If those requests come, we should consider them carefully, consistent with our relationship with the United States and our alliance, as to whether we are required to assist or whether we’re able to assist,” he said.

Shadow foreign minister Ted O’Brien has given bipartisan support for Australia’s response to the US-Israel strikes, describing it as “forward-leaning”.

“I support the Government being forward-leaning. Really, the United States and Israel were doing the heavy lifting on behalf of the free world,” he told Sky on Monday,

“(They’re) looking after our collective interests in that regard, and therefore they deserve our support.”

He did, however, describe Penny Wong’s commentary “odd” and contrasting.

“It was odd, on day one, to… on one hand be supporting the strikes and on the other hand, immediately (be) talking about de-escalating the strikes.”

“If, however, the foreign minister is saying that ‘ideally, the operations are contained to Iran and they do not broaden the scope out across the region’, I think that is the right judgment.

“I did find it quite odd reading reports that that was her view on day one.”

He added that it was worrying that 115,000 Australians were in the region and urged the security and safety of citizens in the Middle East to be “Albanese government’s priority today”.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has condemned a Sydney mosque for mourning Iran’s dead Ayatollah Ali Khamanei with a service remembering him as a martyr.

The Shiite Arrahan Islamic Centre at Kingsgrove published a Facebook post on Sunday honouring the murderous Supreme Leader in the Muslim theocracy after US President Donald Trump and Iranian State media had confirmed his death in American air strikes.

“On the occasion of the martyrdom of the righteous scholar,” it said.

The Muslim community was also invited to honour “his pure soul and for the souls of the martyrs who rose during the American-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” it said.

Mr Minns condemned the idea of mourning the Ayatollah, who ordered the murder of protesters and presided over a regime that executed gay boys and men.

“I think it’s atrocious. By any objective measure, the Ayatollah was evil, and I don’t think we should be mincing words about this,” he told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

“The truth of the matter is, weeks ago, he and his regime were responsible for killing 30,000 protesters within that city, for simply demonstrating against the regime and their practices.

“This is a regime that murders young boys on the suspicion of being gay. I think we can call the mourning of this tyrant, atrocious.”

Footage is emerging from Beirut showing plumes of smoke rising over parts of the city following Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah positions.

Traffic has reportedly gridlocked roads in southern Lebanon and out of Beirut’s southern suburbs as residents attempt to leave the area. The southern suburbs are widely regarded as a Hezbollah stronghold.

The Israeli military has issued evacuation warnings to people in dozens of Lebanese villages, urging residents to leave ahead of possible further strikes.

Here’s a summary of the key developments in the escalating conflict in the Middle East:

• The United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and multiple senior Iranian military and political figures.
• President Donald Trump said operations would continue “until all of our objectives are achieved,” and warned there could be further casualties.
• The US has confirmed three American service members have been killed, the first official US deaths since strikes began.
• Iran has responded by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel and targets across the Persian Gulf.
• Iranian state media reports more than 100 people were killed in a missile strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran, one of the deadliest incidents of the campaign.
• Hezbollah has entered the conflict, launching rockets and drones from Lebanon into northern Israel.
• Israel has carried out retaliatory strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. Explosions have also been reported in Tel Aviv.
• The UK has authorised the use of British bases for US defensive operations. Australia has ruled out participating in military action.
• Oil prices have surged amid concerns about disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route.
• Widespread airspace closures across the Middle East have led to flight cancellations and significant travel disruption.

Australia has ruled out participating in the unfolding conflict in the Middle East as key ally the UK offers up bases for the United States and Israel to continue their joint attack on Iran.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong insisted as a middle-power in the Pacific, Australia was “not central to the issues in the Middle East” and “didn’t participate in these strikes and we wouldn’t anticipate participating in the future”.

It comes as UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer authorised the use of British military bases in the Middle East following a request from the US.

​Read more.​

Australians overseas and those with travel plans are being told to brace for ongoing disruption.

“Your travel plans may be affected, even if your destination is not in the Middle East. Contact your travel agent or airline to confirm your plans,” the Smartraveller advice reads.

“If you travel to or through the Middle East, you may be unable to leave if conflict escalates. Flights can change or stop at short notice. Roads and borders can close.”

While the Foreign Affairs Minister also warned “Australians overseas should be prepared for serious travel disruptions in the days ahead”.

The statement said many Australians were unable to leave due to airspace closures around major transit hubs, with road and land border closures also restricting movement.

“Even if you are not travelling in or through the Middle East, your plans may still be affected.”

Read more.

Two of the most famous hotels in Dubai have been bombed and one of the world’s biggest travel hubs remains under siege as Iran attacks neighbouring nations that play host to US and Israeli military targets.

The Fairmont and Burj Al Arab hotels have been seen burning after missiles were launched by Iran in retaliation following US and Israeli bombing raids on Tehran across the weekend.

Countries throughout the Middle East have been caught in the crossfire as projectiles were fired over borders and the skies above Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the UAE lighting up with explosions.

Iran launched the strikes soon after the joint US, Israel operation commenced and said they would continue until their “enemy is defeated”.

Read more.

Explosions have been heard in parts of Tel Aviv without air raid sirens sounding, according to a Reuters witness, with the source of the blasts not immediately clear.

At the same time, Lebanese state media reported that Israeli strikes had hit Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday.

“Beirut’s southern suburbs were targeted by a series of Israeli strikes,” the state-run National News Agency reported, cited by AFP.

Several loud explosions were also heard in the Lebanese capital.

The developments come after Hezbollah said it had launched rockets and drones at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, further escalating tensions across the region.

The Israeli Defence Forces have begun striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after the group appeared to claim responsibility for rockets launched into northern Israel.

“The IDF is now striking with force targets of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah throughout Lebanon, in response to launches fired toward the State of Israel,” the IDF posted to X, adding it would not allow Hezbollah “to pose a threat to the State of Israel or harm residents of the north.”

The military said it had prepared for the scenario under Operation ‘Roar of the Lion’.

Hezbollah reportedly claimed responsibility, saying the attack was “In retaliation for the pure blood of the Supreme Leader of the Muslims… which was unjustly and treacherously shed by the criminal Zionist enemy,” and described the missile and drone barrage as “a legitimate act of self-defence.”