The Australian government is mobilising a significant consular effort to assist thousands of its citizens caught in the escalating Middle East crisis. Six specialised crisis response teams are being dispatched to the region to bolster diplomatic efforts aimed at facilitating the safe return of Australians.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed the deployment in Canberra, emphasising the sensitive nature of the operation. “I’m not in a position, obviously, for security reasons, to be disclosing to you where and how they’re travelling, they’re deploying into conflict zones,” she stated. “But we are deploying additional assistance into the region.”
Senator Wong expressed relief that one flight carrying approximately 200 Australians had successfully departed Dubai and was en route to Sydney. However, she cautioned that “many thousands” of Australians remain in the Middle East requiring consular support, describing the current situation as the largest consular operation ever undertaken by the government.
Legality of Strikes Under Scrutiny
Amidst the consular efforts, Senator Wong faced persistent questioning regarding the legality of recent strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel. Several Western nations, including key US allies, have voiced reservations about the international law implications of these actions.
French President Emmanuel Macron, for instance, stated that the strikes “were carried out outside the framework of international law, which we cannot approve of.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who had initially supported the strikes over the weekend alongside Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, later clarified that his support was not an unqualified endorsement. Mr Carney conceded that the strikes likely did not conform to international legal standards. “Prima facie, it appears these actions are inconsistent with international law,” he remarked.
He explained Canada’s initial position was driven by the perceived grave threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its support for terrorism. “We took a position because we view the nuclear threat and the export of terrorism of Iran over decades as one of the gravest threats to international peace and security,” he said. “In that limited sense we supported that aspect. That is not a blank cheque.”
Mr Carney also expressed regret over Canada’s stance, highlighting the strikes and the global community’s inability to curb Iran’s destabilising activities as “another example of the failure of the international order.”
However, Senator Wong deflected direct engagement with the legality debate, asserting that it was “a matter for Israel and the US.” She reiterated the Prime Minister’s position that Australia was not privy to all the intelligence informing the strikes.
“It is also important to note that this did not begin with the strikes,” Senator Wong added. “We support action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran from continuing to be a risk to global peace and security.” She pointed to Iran’s recent actions, which she claimed involved attacks on “no less than 10 countries, including non-participants,” as evidence of its threat to regional stability. She also reminded reporters that Iran had previously been involved in attacks on Australian soil.
Canada Advocates for Ceasefire
Canada’s Defence Minister, David McGuinty, has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the region, signalling a shift in Canada’s initial, more supportive stance. While Canada had initially aligned closely with Australia in backing the US operation, its position has softened in recent days.
In an interview with the ABC, Mr McGuinty urged both parties to seek a path towards peace. “It’s always better to be looking now for a cessation of hostilities, to be able to bring us to a level of dialogue that is more productive than more bombing,” he stated.
When questioned about ongoing Canadian support for the operations, he reiterated that the decisions rested with the US and Israel. “The Israeli and American governments are prosecuting the war as they see fit,” he said. “Canada is not involved. Canada has not been consulted. We are not providing any support. We are not engaged.” He concluded that it was “a matter of Israel and the United States governing themselves accordingly.”
The visit of Mr Carney and other senior Canadian ministers to Australia comes at a time when Canada has been actively advocating for “middle powers” like Australia to adopt a more assertive and independent role in global affairs.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Carney delivered a significant speech at the World Economic Forum, urging countries such as Australia to acknowledge the persistent shortcomings of the existing international order and to collaborate in navigating an era of heightened great-power competition.
Regarding the potential role of middle powers in the current Iran conflict, Mr McGuinty suggested a focus on monitoring and safeguarding citizens, while leaving the military engagements to the combatants. “Middle powers like Australia and Canada should stick together,” he advised. “Our role is to cooperate, to look after our people in the region … but it really is now more a question of monitoring, of sharing information, getting our civilians out.” He concluded, “But the American-Israeli incursion is theirs.”
