Australia closes Tehran embassy tells officials to leave over security fears

Australia has ordered all officials and their families to leave Iran and shuttered its embassy in Tehran over growing fears for their security.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Australia has shuttered its embassy in Tehran and directed all Australian officials and their dependants to leave as conflict between Israel and Iran heats up, sparking warnings over the

“deteriorating security environment in Iran”.

All Australians in the country have been urged to leave if it is safe, or to shelter in place if it is not.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia’s Ambassador to Iran will remain in the region “to support the Australian Government’s response to this crisis”.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is deploying consular staff to Azerbaijan, including its border crossings, to support Australians departing Iran,” she said.

“We are continuing planning to support Australians seeking to depart Iran, and we remain in close contact with other partner countries. At this stage, our ability to provide consular services is extremely limited due to the situation on the ground. The airspace remains closed.”

There are currently some 2000 Australians seeking evacuation from Iran, with that number expected to rise as thousands of Australians remain stuck in the region.

Australia’s suspension of Embassy operations is concurrent with similar measures taken by other countries, including New Zealand and Switzerland.

On Friday Senator Wong spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and agreed “to commit to a path of peace and ensure that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon”.

Australians in Iran seeking consular assistance are urged to call the Australian Government’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on [phone] outside Australia and 1300 555 135 (in Australia).

The Australian Embassy in Tehran has been closed. Picture: Supplied.

Australia’s response comes as the Iran Israel conflict enters its seventh day. On June 13 Israel launched a surprise attack on Iranian targets, saying in the last few months Iran had been accelerating towards building a nuclear weapon, talks aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear programme were going nowhere, and therefore this was the last resort.

Since then, the countries have exchanged increasingly heavy missile fire. Israel’s Iron Dome defence system, which the IDF previously stated has an interception rate above 85 per cent against Palestinian missiles, has been struggling against Iran’s more advanced ballistic missiles.

On Friday morning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Iran would “pay a heavy price” after a hospital in southern Israel was struck by a missile, injuring 40 people and causing heavy damage to the building, AFP reported.

US President Donald Trump has approved attack plans on Iran, but held off giving the order in the hope the regime would agree to surrender its nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday (AEST), citing three people familiar with the matter.

The US President told reporters overnight he had “ideas on what to do but I haven’t made a final – I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due”.

A missile is launched from Iran toward Israel on the sixth day of fighting between the two countries. Picture: Atta Kenare / AFP

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles declined to directly comment on the reports or Australia’s position if the United States elected to follow through with military action but reiterated the government response “is to seek de-escalation”.

Mr Marles told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing: “We want to see diplomacy and dialogue pursued at this moment, and we are deeply concerned about the risk of escalating even more”.

“In saying that, we absolutely acknowledge Israel’s right to defend itself and we absolutely acknowledge the threat that the Iran nuclear ballistic missile program represents to the peace and stability of the region.”

Senator Wong earlier backed Mr Trump’s stance on Iran and said Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “has a choice”.

“First, we agree with President Trump that nothing is too late.

“Iran has a choice here, and the choice should be to return to the table and engage in dialogue and diplomacy.

“We see the situation there and as tough as their words might be, I think we all know the situation that they face and it’s time for them to return to the table.”

She warned there was a “risk of regional escalation of this conflict getting larger, spreading, the consequences for all the people of the region and more broadly the globe”.

More to come.

Originally published as Australia closes Tehran embassy tells officials to leave over security fears