Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has given Australia's formal endorsement of the joint US and Israeli military strikes on Iran, declaring that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei "will not be mourned" while urging the tens of thousands of Australians with ties to the Middle East to prepare for what he described as "difficult and uncertain" days ahead.
The strikes were launched on 28 February 2026, in a joint operation codenamed "Roaring Lion" by Israel and "Operation Epic Fury" by the United States Department of Defence, targeting key officials, military commanders, and nuclear and missile facilities across Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top security officials were killed in the attacks. In response, the Iranian regime launched an unprecedented wave of retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, targeting several countries that host US military bases, including Bahrain and the UAE.
Australia's response was swift and pointed. In a formal statement issued from his office on 28 February, Albanese declared that Australia stands with "the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression", adding that "for decades, the Iranian regime has been a destabilising force, through its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, support for armed proxies, and brutal acts of violence and intimidation."
The government confirmed it supports "the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran continuing to threaten international peace and security." Speaking at a subsequent press conference, Albanese declined to comment on whether facilities such as Pine Gap were involved in the operation, stating only that Australia does not discuss intelligence, and that "this was unilateral action taken by the United States."
The Prime Minister also did not shy away from a pointed remark about Khamenei personally. As reported by 9News, Albanese said the Supreme Leader "was responsible for orchestrating attacks on Australian soil. His passing will not be mourned."
Those attacks form a key part of the Australian government's rationale for its position. Iran directed at least two attacks on Australian soil in 2024, targeting the Jewish community in acts intended to "create fear, divide our society and challenge our sovereignty." In response, Australia expelled Iran's Ambassador, suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran, and listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a state sponsor of terrorism. The government has also sanctioned more than 200 Iranian-linked individuals, including more than 100 linked to the IRGC.
For ordinary Australians, the immediate concern is more personal than geopolitical. More than 3,000 Australians and their families have registered with the government seeking to leave Iran, and officials have been deployed to the Azerbaijani border in the event Australians can exit through that route. The government's formal advice is that Australians should leave Iran as soon as possible if it is safe to do so, though its ability to provide consular assistance inside Iran is extremely limited. Australia has also upgraded travel advice for Israel and Lebanon to "Do Not Travel", and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has activated its Crisis Centre to provide consular support to Australians in the region.
The regional aviation system has effectively collapsed. Hundreds of thousands of travellers were either stranded or diverted after multiple countries closed their airspace, leading to the closure of key hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha and the cancellation of more than 1,800 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has warned that airspace closures caused by Iranian retaliatory strikes are likely to limit the federal government's ability to organise repatriation flights for Australians stranded in the Middle East. Australians requiring urgent consular assistance can contact the Smartraveller Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 within Australia, or +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas.
The Opposition has given bipartisan backing to the government's stance. As reported by 9News, Opposition leader Angus Taylor described the Iranian regime as "authoritarian, antisemitic and abhorrent", adding that it "wants nuclear weapons, seeks the destruction of Israel, has encouraged terrorism through its proxies — Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis — and has supplied weapons to Russia to support Putin's invasion of Ukraine."
Yet bipartisan domestic consensus should not obscure the genuine difficulty of Australia's position internationally. Criticism has mounted against Washington for taking part in the attacks while still engaged in nuclear negotiations with Tehran. Just before the strikes, Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi said a "breakthrough" had been reached and Iran had agreed both to never stockpile enriched uranium and to full verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency. For critics, this represents the central paradox: military action commenced as diplomacy appeared to be bearing fruit.
Norway's Foreign Minister said the initial Israeli attack on Iran was "not in line with international law", noting that "preventive attacks require an immediately imminent threat." Russia's Foreign Ministry went further, condemning the attack as "a preplanned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state." The United Nations Secretary-General condemned both the US-Israeli attack and the Iranian retaliation.
Those questions about the legal and strategic basis for the strikes are not trivial, and responsible reporting demands they be aired. An unclassified assessment from the US Defence Intelligence Agency from 2025 found Iran could develop a militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 "should Tehran decide to pursue the capability", and there was no intelligence to suggest Iran was pursuing such a capability at that time. Whether the threat was sufficiently imminent to justify the action taken is a question that governments, lawyers, and historians will be debating for years.
What is clear right now is that the federal government faces an acute consular crisis, a volatile regional security environment, and a significant political test. Albanese has committed Australia firmly to the alliance position. The coming days will reveal whether that commitment was the product of clear-eyed strategic calculation or alliance reflex — and whether diplomacy, which had not yet been exhausted, might still find a path back to the table. Australians with family caught in the middle of all this deserve honest answers to both questions. They can begin following official advice and updates through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Smartraveller website.