Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on March 10 that his country will deploy military surveillance aircraft to the Middle East and send missiles to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to support defense against attacks from Iran.
Mr. Anthony Albanese emphasized that Australia will not send troops to fight on Iranian territory. According to him, Canberra's military support measures are only defensive.
Speaking to the press, Mr. Anthony Albanese said that this support is to help the Gulf countries protect themselves from attacks from Iran. He affirmed that Australia is not a party directly involved in the conflict.
According to the plan, Australia will deploy an E-7A Wedgetail early warning and air control aircraft manufactured by Boeing. This aircraft will operate for an initial 4 weeks to support the protection of the airspace of Gulf countries.
The Australian Prime Minister also said that Canberra will provide advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to the UAE. This decision was made after a phone call between Mr. Anthony Albanese and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Mr. Anthony Albanese said that Australia's participation is aimed at protecting its citizens in the Middle East, while supporting partners in the region.
The current conflict has almost closed the Strait of Hormuz. This sea route is an important transit point for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
When the fighting began 11 days ago, about 115,000 Australian citizens were present in the Middle East. To date, 2,600 people have returned home by commercial flights, amid attacks from Iran in many Gulf cities.
The Australian government said that military measures are being deployed to strengthen regional security and protect citizens in the context of continued tension.
