Three diplomatic missions of Australia in the Middle East have been forced to close physically over the past week due to escalating security risks, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Wednesday.
Speaking in the Senate in Canberra, Wong said Australian embassies and consulates in at least nine cities across the region have been affected by missile and drone attacks.
“Our missions in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Tel Aviv have all had to physically close in the last week,” she said.
Wong added that the closures came as security conditions deteriorated across the region amid heightened military tensions.
According to the foreign minister, more than 3,200 Australians have already returned home on 23 commercial flights as of Wednesday.
She urged Australians currently in the region to leave if commercial flights remained available.
Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that about 115,000 Australians are currently in the Middle East, including roughly 24,000 people in the United Arab Emirates.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation as regional hostilities intensify.
