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AAP
AAP
Politics
Andrew Brown and William Ton

Australia mulls military help for Iran-besieged allies

Australia is considering providing military support to allied countries attacked by Iran. (Paul Braven/AAP PHOTOS)

Australia could provide military aid to help protect allies in the Middle East against Iranian strikes as more citizens arrive home after being stranded in the region.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed the government is weighing up whether to answer requests for help to countries hit in Iranian retaliatory actions.

But she has ruled out any Australian troops being involved in offensive operations during the US-Israeli attacks on the Islamic regime.

Penny Wong
Penny Wong has revealed Australia has been asked for assistance from countries struck by Iran. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

"Many countries which are non-participants have been attacked by Iran through this," Senator Wong told ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.

"You would anticipate, as a consequence, that we have been asked for assistance, and we will work through that carefully."

"We are not participating in offensive actions against Iran and we've made clear we would not participate in any ground-troop deployment into Iran."

The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran just over a week earlier, killing leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran's retaliatory strikes have hit the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, among other countries.

Iran
The US-Israel strikes on Iran killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

Senator Wong said Australia's military aid could help provide protection against Iranian drone and missile attacks.

"We have been asked and we will consider ... if a decision is made, I'm sure that we will be transparent with the Australian people," she said.

"This is not Iraq and we are not the Howard government. We are not asking Australians to accept men and women being deployed into a ground war."

The foreign minister added any regime change in Iran should be directed by its citizens, putting her at odds with recent statements from US President Donald Trump, who said he should be involved in choosing the country's leader.

"I think we all know that for there to be a sustainable change of regime, it has to be something that the people of that nation back and seek," Senator Wong said.

Iran
Some Australians leaving the Middle East have been bussed out of Doha before flying home. (Sarah Wilson/AAP PHOTOS)

Another 151 Australians arrived in Melbourne on a flight from Dubai on Sunday afternoon, one of three due to land in Australia during the day after UAE airspace was briefly closed due to renewed missile strikes.

One of those flights, to arrive in Perth about 5pm local time with 93 Australians on board, was previously cancelled.

As of Sunday morning, more than 1500 Australians had arrived home from Dubai.

Australians have also been bussed out of the Qatari capital Doha, the base for Virgin Australia's partner Qatar Airways, to Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh.

Three buses carrying 92 citizens, permanent residents and their families have departed.

Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said commercial flights were still the best way for Australians to leave the region.

Assistant Minister for Immigration Matt Thistlethwaite
Matt Thistlethwaite admits high ticket prices might be deterring some from leaving the Middle East. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

But he admitted the cost of some flights might be a factor in people not being able to return as some planes departed with large numbers of empty seats.

About 115,000 Australians were in the Middle East when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

Australian Travel Industry Association chief executive Dean Long said flights leaving with empty seats should not be a concern.

"The good news is there's not a huge number of people that we should consider stuck in the transit hub," he told AAP.

"The people that are primarily in the Middle East now are choosing to be in the Middle East because that's where they live."

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