50,000 Missing as Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 2,300
Darwin, 03 July : The death toll from the devastating earthquake that struck Venezuela a week ago has risen to 2,300, while more than 11,000…
Darwin, 03 March :
Australia has no plans to join the U.S.–Israeli military operation against Iran. In an interview with Nine News on Monday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong made the country’s position clear.
In a statement, she said, “We have not taken part in this military operation, and there is no prospect of us participating in such actions in the future.”
Meanwhile, relations between Australia and Iran have been tense for some time. In 2025, Canberra expelled the Iranian ambassador after accusing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard of being responsible for antisemitic arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. Tehran has consistently denied the allegations.
Looking back, Australia had directly participated in several major U.S.-led military operations in the past, including the 2003 Iraq War. However, in the current situation, Canberra does not wish to become directly involved in any war against Iran — a move that is being seen as a significant shift in its international policy.
The ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran has entered its third day. All three sides are carrying out heavy attacks, with casualties rising due to retaliatory strikes and tensions spreading across the Middle East.
According to a BBC report, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a video message that combat operations against Iran would continue “until all of our objectives are achieved.” He warned that there could be “more” American casualties in the days ahead.
Earlier, U.S. Central Command confirmed that three American service members were killed and five others seriously injured in an Iranian attack.
Meanwhile, early Monday, Israel announced that it had begun striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Israel claimed that Hezbollah had earlier fired rockets into its territory.
At the same time, Iran’s missile attacks reportedly killed at least nine people in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, according to Israel’s ambulance service, Magen David Adom. It is the deadliest attack in Israel since the fighting began.
The impact of the conflict has also spread to neighboring countries. The United Arab Emirates reported that three of its citizens were killed in Iranian retaliatory strikes since Saturday. Explosions have also been reported in Bahrain, Erbil in Iraq, and Jordan.
The war has also shaken global markets. Oil prices surged when Asian markets opened on Monday.
The British Royal Air Force (RAF) said that one of its bases in Cyprus had been targeted in a suspected drone attack.