An Iranian projectile struck near the Australian headquarters at Al Minhad airbase in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, damaging an accommodation block and a medical facility. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed no Australian personnel were injured in the attack, which occurred at 9:15am AEDT.
Albanese stated that Australia is not at war with Iran, despite the strike. He described the incident as part of “random attacks” by the Iranian regime across the region. The projectile hit a road leading to the base, sparking a fire that caused the damage.
The Australian government recently announced it would send a surveillance aircraft and air-to-air missiles to the UAE to protect Australians in the Gulf state. Australia maintains a small force at Al Minhad, with around 50 core ADF staff and up to 80 Australians present at any time.
In a separate development, US President Donald Trump claimed the US never needed help from allies, including Australia, in the Iran conflict. Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie criticised Trump’s remarks as “petulant” and “not how you treat allies.” Albanese declined to comment on the exchange, focusing instead on diplomatic engagement.
