Aust diplomats’ families told to leave Israel, Lebanon

The Australian government has told dependents of Australian diplomats in Israel and Lebanon to leave the two Middle Eastern countries, citing the deteriorating security situation in the region, the foreign ministry said.

The government has also offered voluntary departure to the dependents of Australian diplomats in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Qatar, Ministry X’s official account said on Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump claimed a possible attack on Iran in his State of the Union speech to Congress on Tuesday and said he would not allow the world’s biggest supporter of terrorism to have a nuclear weapon.

Iran and the United States resumed negotiations earlier this month 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.

The announcements were made in a series of posts on the state department’s Smartraveller X account.