Australia Deploys Military Assets to the Middle East

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed the deployment of a number of military assets to the Middle East to assist in repatriating Australian citizens. The move comes in response to the rising intensity of the conflict in the region, which has caused significant travel disruptions. In a speech to Parliament on Thursday, 5 March, Albanese said the assets had been deployed earlier in the week as part of contingency planning. The primary focus of the mission is to evacuate Australians stranded amid the crisis. ‘The government has deployed military assets to the Middle East as part of a contingency plan to assist Australian citizens stranded due to travel disruption caused by the ongoing conflict,’ Albanese told Parliament. Local media reports said the deployed assets include personnel transport aircraft and refuelling aircraft. In addition to the military assets, Canberra has also deployed six crisis response teams from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to provide additional consular assistance. Data shows around 115,000 Australians are currently in the Middle East, with the largest concentration of about 24,000 in the United Arab Emirates. The deployment of defence assets demonstrates Australia’s seriousness in prioritising the safety of its citizens amid the ‘war mode’ that is heating up in the region. (Xinhua/B-3)