Photo: Getty ImagesAustralia said today it would not take part in any military operations in Iran, ruling out deploying troops to the Middle East if the conflict escalates, as Israel launched fresh strikes on Tehran and Iran responded with more missile attacks. "Australia is not central to the issues in the Middle East. We didn't participate in these strikes and we wouldn't anticipate participating in the future," Wong told Channel Nine today. "There is conflict in the region, we've seen loss of life across the region and airspace is not open. Air travel to the Middle East, a major travel hub toward Asia and Europe for Australians, remained disrupted on Monday with Etihad and Emirates cancelling some flights from Australia.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 02, 2026 07:10 UTC