Australia tells families of diplomats to leave Israel, Lebanon

JERUSALEM - The Australian government has told dependants of Australian diplomats in Israel and Lebanon to leave the two Middle East countries, the Foreign Ministry said on Feb 25, amid rising fears of

military conflict between the United States and Iran.

The Australian government has also offered voluntary departures to dependants of diplomats in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan amid what the Foreign Ministry described as a “deteriorating security situation in the region”.

US President Donald Trump laid out his case for a possible attack on Iran in his State of the Union speech to Congress on Feb 24, saying he would not allow the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism to have a nuclear weapon.

Iran and the United States held indirect talks in February as Washington builds up military capability in the Middle East. Iran has threatened to strike US bases in the region if it is attacked, but Tehran’s top diplomat said on Feb 24 that a deal with the US was “within reach” if diplomacy is prioritised.

Further indirect negotiations between US and Iranian officials are

scheduled to take place in Geneva

on Feb 26.

There are tens of thousands of Australians estimated to be living in the Middle East, many of them in the UAE, Israel and Lebanon. In 2025, the Australian government helped evacuate citizens from Israel during the 12-Day Israel-Iran war.

The Australian government continues to advise citizens in Israel and Lebanon to consider leaving while commercial options are still available, the Foreign Ministry said on Feb 25.

Canberra did not announce the closure of any of its Middle East embassies or consulates. The Australian government closed its embassy in Tehran in 2025 after expelling Iranian diplomats in June 2025, accusing the Iranian government of directing anti-Semitic attacks against Australian Jews. REUTERS