Key points
- Government has responsibility to ensure safety of staff: Australian FM
- Consular staff are being sent to neighbouring Azerbaijan to support Australians: FM
- Australia’s ambassador to Iran would remain in region to support government’s response
ISLAMABAD: Australia said on Friday it had suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran, citing a deteriorating security situation amid the Iran-Israel conflict.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation cited Foreign Minister Penny Wong as saying that the government had directed the departure of all Australian officials and dependents and suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran based on advice about “the deteriorating security environment in Iran”.
Iran-Israel conflict
She said that the government has a responsibility to ensure the safety of our staff, “We do not have to cast our minds back too far in history to understand the risk to foreign officials in Iran in times of unrest”.
READ ALSO: Almost 3,000 Australians Seek to Flee Israel-Iran Conflict
Reuters cited the minister as saying, consular staff are being sent to neighbouring Azerbaijan, including its border crossings, to support Australians departing Iran by road.
“We are in the process of getting a crisis response team into Azerbaijan and the purpose is to assist any Australians who get to that border and that is the border crossing that is the most likely for exit from Tehran,” she said.
Australians seek assistance
Reuters reported that around 2,000 Australians and their families in Iran have sought assistance to leave the country.
Australia’s ambassador to Iran, Ian McConville, would remain in the region to support the government’s response.
According to Iranian authorities, at least 224 people have been killed, while in Israel, officials report 24 deaths and more than 840 injuries so far.
