Australian families urged to leave Israel, Lebanon

Families of Australian diplomats in Israel and Lebanon have been advised to leave the country as the government cited unforeseen security tensions in the Middle East.

The Australian government has also offered voluntary departure to the dependents of its diplomats in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Qatar, according to a statement on the Smart Traveler website on Wednesday.

“This is a precautionary measure given regional tensions,” the recommendation reads.

“Australian embassies in Tel Aviv and Beirut remain open.

“The situation in the Middle East is unpredictable.”

In addition to the consulate in Dubai, embassies will remain open in Jordan’s Amman, Qatar’s Doha and the UAE’s Abu Dhabi.

The advice came after US President Donald Trump laid out plans for a possible attack on Iran in his State of the Union address to Congress.

Mr Trump said he would not allow the world’s biggest supporter of terrorism to acquire nuclear weapons.

Iran and the United States resumed negotiations in early February as Washington builds military capacity in the Middle East.

Iran has threatened to strike US bases in the region if attacked, but Tehran’s top diplomat said on Tuesday that a deal with the US was “achievable” if diplomacy was prioritized.

The Australian government continues to advise citizens in Israel and Lebanon to consider leaving while commercial options are still available, the foreign ministry said.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said families “absolutely need to heed this advice”.

“This is the best advice we have and there is no doubt the situation there is escalating,” he told Sky News.