Australian gov't preparing to evacuate citizens from Iran

Alsharq Tribune-AFP 

The Australian government is preparing to evacuate citizens from Iran, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Pat Conroy, minister for Defense Industry, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio on Tuesday that the government is making plans for evacuation operations for citizens in Iran who wish to leave amid the conflict in the Middle East.

"The air zones are closed at the moment, so planes can't get in and out, but we're preparing plans to evacuate Australians or assist in them getting onto commercial flights when those zones do open again," he said.

All Australians currently in the region have been advised to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said on Monday that 350 Australian citizens had advised DFAT of their desire to leave Iran and 300 citizens had done so for Israel, with more registrations expected.

Wong said that the government was working on a range of plans to help people leave when safe.