US–Iran war live updates: Two stay behind while remaining members of Iranian soccer team depart Australia

Qantas is set to hike airfares on its international routes this week in response to surging jet fuel costs amid tensions in the Middle East.

The national carrier on Tuesday says while it does not operate any flights to the Middle East and that services to and from Europe are continuing to operate as scheduled, volatile jet fuel prices are driving the group’s costs higher.

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US President Donald Trump has vowed that the war with Iran will end “very soon”.

While addressing media in Doral, Florida, the President claimed that the combined efforts of the US and Israel had struck 5000 targets, calling it a “short-term excursion” for his military and emphasised their strength.

When asked by a reporter if the war would be over this week, Trump replied saying “no, but very soon”.

While Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has hit back at claims Tehran was looking for a ceasefire.

“We are certainly not seeking a ceasefire. We believe the aggressor must be struck so it learns a lesson and never again thinks of attacking Iran,” the speaker wrote on X.

“The Zionist regime sees its shameful existence in the continuation of the cycle of ‘war-negotiation-ceasefire and then war again’ to consolidate its dominance. We will break this cycle.”

The IDF has detected missiles launched from Iran heading towards Israel, their military announced.

The Home Front Command has issued a warning to nearby mobile phones, urging the public to follow directives.

“Defence systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the IDF said in the statement.

The Turkish Ministry of National Defence claimed a NATO Patriot missile defence system had been deployed in Malatya province.

It comes after NATO defences intercepted a second ballistic missile from Iran on Monday.

“The system is being prepared for operational readiness to help protect Turkish airspace,” Turkish authorities said.

Tony Burke boarded a plane at Canberra Airport at dinner-time on Monday, having spent the afternoon with Cabinet’s national security committee.

It was the Home Affairs Minister’s second trip to Brisbane on short notice in as many days as he personally helped efforts to grant five Iranian footballers asylum in Australia.

At the same time as he got on the Virgin flight, supporters of Iran’s Asian Cup side were filming chaotic scenes in the lobby of the team’s Gold Coast hotel as minders linked to the Islamic Republic ran into the area looking for the women.

They had escaped and were helped by Australian Federal Police and community supporters to get to a safe house.

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The Israeli army has issued another urgent evacuation warning to residents of southern Lebanon.

A military spokesperson said the Hezbollah’s terrorist activities are forcing them to “act against it forcefully”.

The evacuation warning urged that moving south “may endanger lives”.

The Israeli army has confirmed it conducted a wave of airstrikes against al-Qard Al-Hasan, a Hezbollah linked financial association.

With the IDF confirming the news on social media, claiming they financed the purchasing of weapons and terrorist salaries.

Israel had targeted several of the association’s branches over the past week.

Verified footage has captured one of two known explosions near a school in service on February 28, the first day of US-Israeli attacks.

What was an ordinary morning at the Imam Reza Elementary School for boys in Abyek turned into a scene of horror.

CCTV video shows windows shattering. Children running, some with hands over their ears. A child falls to the ground by a soccer goal post, seemingly hit by a piece of debris.

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Andrew Hastie says Australia’s deployment of an advanced E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft and air-to-air missiles to the Middle East is in the nation’s strategic and economic interest.

Speaking on ABC, the shadow industry minister said Australia relied on the importation of liquid fuel from refineries in Asia, Malaysia and South Korea.

“But a lot that oil first comes out of the Gulf states and if the Strait of (Hormuz) remains closed, and if key bits of infrastructure in the UAE, Arabia, in Bahrain and destroyed or remain closed, then we’re going to suffer big.

“We’re already seeing fuel going up.”

Nationals leader David Littleproud has sensationally announced his resignation from the position saying he is “buggered” but proud of what he has achieved.

Following the leadership turmoil in the Liberal Party earlier this year, Mr Littleproud says it’s time to transition to a new leader for the Nationals.

Standing with his wife, and choking back tears, he said he would continue to serve as the Member for Maranoa.

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