Australia is dispatching six crisis consular support teams to the Middle East to assist thousands of stranded Australians, as Foreign Minister Penny Wong acknowledged the conflict triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran was “spreading and intensifying”.
Around 115,000 Australians are estimated to be in the region, including up to 24,000 in the United Arab Emirates. Some commercial flights have resumed, with about 200 Australians returning to Sydney on Wednesday, but many remain unable to leave.
Asked about the legality of strikes on Iran, which Australia has supported, Wong said: “This is a matter for Israel and the US, the legal basis, for those two countries to respond to.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, visiting Australia, said his support came with “regret” and was “not a blank cheque”, urging that international law binds all belligerents.
Wong confirmed that Australian diplomats near the US consulate in Dubai were safe after a drone incident caused a fire in a nearby carpark. She declined to reveal the destinations or travel methods of the crisis teams, citing security risks.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers called on fuel retailers not to “do the wrong thing” by raising prices unnecessarily amid the crisis. The NRMA reported that some retailers in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne had increased margins, with regular unleaded nearing $2.20 a litre.
Chalmers has asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to monitor for price gouging. Global oil prices have jumped nearly 15% this week, approaching $83 a barrel for Brent crude.
