Australia weighing requests for assistance from countries attacked by Iran

Australia's government announced on Sunday that it is looking into requests for help from countries affected by Iranian attacks amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East. However, officials emphasized that Australia will not engage in any military actions within Iran. Foreign Minister Penny Wong mentioned in a televised statement, "Many countries that are not involved have been attacked by Iran. Therefore, it is expected that we have received requests for assistance, and we will carefully consider those." As a close ally of the United States, Australia has stated it will not send troops to the Middle East if tensions rise further. When asked about assisting in protecting nations from Iranian drone and missile strikes, Wong confirmed, “That’s correct.” She added, “We will address this while sticking to our position that we will not take part in offensive actions against Iran, and we have made it clear that there will be no deployment of ground troops." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese noted on Friday that three Australian defense personnel were aboard a U.S. submarine that sank an Iranian warship with a torpedo in the Indian Ocean, but he stressed that they did not participate in the attack. The situation in the Middle East has intensified this week, with U.S. and Israeli aircraft targeting sites across Iran, while several Gulf cities, including those in the UAE and Qatar, have faced Iranian attacks. In addition, Australia is coordinating with airlines to assist thousands of Australians currently stranded in the Middle East.