Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that an Iranian projectile hit near the Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE where Australian soldiers are stationed. The incident occurred without causing any injuries to personnel. The projectile struck a road leading to the air base, resulting in minor damage to an accommodation block and a medical facility due to a small fire.
Albanese mentioned that the Australian Defence Force has been using the Al Minhad Air Base as an operational headquarters since 2003. However, the base has hosted a smaller Australian force following the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. He also highlighted that the Iranian regime has been carrying out “random attacks” across the Gulf region.
On March 5, Albanese had announced the deployment of military assets to the Middle East to assist in repatriating citizens stranded in the region due to travel disruptions caused by ongoing conflicts. The assets included a transport aircraft and a refueling plane. Additionally, the government dispatched six crisis response teams from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the Middle East to offer consular assistance to citizens.
As of March 11, more than 3,200 Australians had returned on 23 commercial flights. Albanese disclosed that approximately 115,000 Australians are in the Middle East, with around 24,000 of them located in the United Arab Emirates.
