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Australia tells families of diplomats to leave UAE as conflict escalates

AL-Monitor
Mar 8, 2026
FILE PHOTO: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong speaks during the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong speaks during the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo — Kevin Lamarque

SYDNEY, March 9 (Reuters) - Australia has asked the family members and dependants of diplomatic officials in the United Arab Emirates to leave the country, following an escalation in the conflict in the Middle East as several Gulf cities came under Iranian bombardment.

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he was not seeking negotiations to end the U.S.-Israeli military strikes against Iran, which have driven up global energy prices, disrupted business and snarled air travel.

* Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the securitysituation in the region had deteriorated. * "Our travel advice has been updated to reflect thatdirection. We continue to advise Australians not to travel tothe UAE," Wong said in a post on X on Sunday night. * More than 1,700 Australians have arrived in Australia sofar on commercial flights from the UAE, Wong said. * About 115,000 Australians were in the Middle East when theconflict began 10 days ago. * Australia, a close U.S. ally, has said it would not deploytroops to the Middle East if the conflict escalates, butsuggested on Sunday it was considering requests to help protectcountries from Iranian drones and missiles.

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Tom Hogue)