Australia has deployed military assets to the Middle East as part of contingency planning to assist thousands of its citizens stranded amid the ongoing war, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed. The deployment comes as the government works to evacuate Australians from what he described as a volatile, dangerous and fast moving situation.

Albanese said another evacuation flight carrying more than 200 Australians had departed Dubai for Sydney, with two additional flights scheduled to leave later the same day. He noted that thousands of Australians are still seeking to return home as the crisis continues.

Six Australian crisis response teams have been sent to the region to support evacuation efforts. While the Prime Minister confirmed the presence of military assets, further details about the nature of those deployments have not been disclosed.

New Zealand has also announced it will send two defence aircraft along with consular staff to assist its citizens in returning home from the region.