Australia deploys military aircraft to Mideast in contingency planning

SYDNEY: Australia has deployed two military aircraft to the Middle East as part of contingency planning, two officials told AFP on Thursday.

Countries have rushed to evacuate their citizens from the Middle East this week after US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and sparked a regional war.

Officials told AFP that Australia had deployed a heavy transport aircraft and a fuel transport aircraft to the Middle East as part of plans to get its citizens out.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also told parliament on Thursday that “military assets” had been deployed to the Middle East, though he did not give further details.

“I thank those Australians going into a dangerous situation in order to help their fellow Australians,” he said.

Officials told AFP the best way for Australians to get home was on commercial flights.

On Wednesday the first of those flights flew into Sydney from Dubai.

Australia has said it has 115,000 citizens in the region.

New Zealand also ordered two military aircraft to the Middle East on Thursday in preparation for evacuations of its citizens from the region.