Anthony Albanese says ceasefire will make it easier to get Aussies out of Middle East
The Federal Government is hoping a ceasefire between Iran and Israel will make it easier for thousands of Australians in the region to escape but also means fewer people need to leave as urgently.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed news of the ceasefire between the two Middle Eastern nations, saying Australia wanted to see “dialogue and diplomacy replace any escalation”.
He urged Australians travelling abroad to check the Smart Traveller safety warnings and register their plans to receive alerts.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.About 3000 Australian citizens have registered with DFAT as wanting to leave Iran, and about 1000 in Israel.
Mr Albanese said efforts to evacuate them had been made more difficult by what had occurred, including flight diversions and the closure of airspace across the Middle East.
“There was a scheduled flight out of Israel that wasn’t able to be fulfilled because of the security situation,” Mr Albanese told Sky News on Tuesday.
“What we hope is that a more secure position, a ceasefire, will ensure that people don’t feel the need to get to safety.”
He said there was no change in Australia’s national security alert level but agencies were constantly monitoring the situation.
Mr Albanese said on Monday that Australia backed the US action in bombing Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, but labelled it a “unilateral action” and wouldn’t say whether Australia had advance notice.
The UK was given a heads-up about the attack.
Asked whether Australia was the forgotten ally at the moment, Mr Albanese said, “Not at all.”
He said he and US President Donald Trump had agreed to meet “at a time that’s convenient for both of us.”
