Australia to deploy surveillance aircraft and missiles to UAE amid escalating Gulf conflict
Prime Minister Albanese rules out ground troops, says military support purely defensive as 115,000 Australians remain in region
CANBERRA, Australia — March 10, 2026 — Australia will deploy a long-range military surveillance aircraft and provide advanced air-to-air missiles to the United Arab Emirates to help Gulf nations defend against Iranian attacks, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Tuesday, while ruling out any deployment of ground troops or offensive action against Iran.
Speaking to reporters in Canberra, Albanese said the Royal Australian Air Force will send an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft with 85 supporting personnel to the Gulf region for an initial four-week mission “in support of the collective self-defence of Gulf nations.” The decision follows a phone call with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and requests from regional partners.
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“The Wedgetail will provide long-range reconnaissance capability, which will help to protect and secure the airspace above the Gulf,” Albanese said. Australia will also provide advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to the UAE, with Defence Minister Richard Marles confirming the weapons are coming from the Australian Defence Force’s existing supply.
Protection of Australian citizens cited as primary motivation
Albanese emphasized that protecting Australian citizens abroad remains the government’s top priority, noting that approximately 115,000 Australians are living across the Middle East, including 24,000 in the UAE alone. Since the conflict began 11 days ago, 2,600 Australians have returned home on commercial flights as several Gulf cities came under Iranian bombardment.
“The first priority of my government is and always will be to keep Australians safe,” Albanese said. “Helping Australians means also helping the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf nations defend themselves against what are unprovoked attacks.”
He stressed that Australia’s involvement is purely defensive: “My government has been clear: We are not taking offensive action against Iran, and we are clear we are not deploying Australian troops on the ground in Iran.”
Escalating conflict and regional impact
The prime minister noted that the conflict in the Middle East has intensified dramatically over the past week, with Iran’s reprisal attacks continuing to escalate “at a scale and depth we haven’t seen before.” Twelve countries across the region, from Cyprus through to the Gulf, are being targeted.
The UAE alone has intercepted more than 1,500 rockets and drones, Albanese said, warning that the attacks pose serious risks to civilian lives. All six Gulf States—including Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar—have been impacted by Iranian strikes since the war began, targeting civilian infrastructure including airports.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20 to 25 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass, has been effectively closed due to the conflict. More than 27,000 flights to and from the Middle East have been cancelled since February 28.
Domestic political reaction and concerns
The announcement drew immediate criticism from the opposition Greens party, which warned that Australia risks becoming embroiled in another US-led “forever war.” Greens Senator Larissa Waters said she feared more Australian lives were at risk with the announced deployments.
“Australians do not want to get dragged into Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal war on Iran,” Waters said in a statement. “Labor shouldn’t be sending troops to help a military that’s killed 150 schoolchildren in a primary school bombing. That will only escalate an illegal conflict that’s already spiralling out of control, and leave Australia trapped in yet another forever war.”
“Every day Trump and Netanyahu’s demands of Australia keep growing. It was refuelling US spy planes yesterday, a recon jet and missiles today, and could be ever more troops tomorrow. Labor has no red lines when it comes to appeasing Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu,” Waters added.
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However, opposition frontbencher Dan Tehan offered conditional support, telling ABC radio: “Absolutely it’s the right thing in principle for Australia to be doing. We want to be doing our bit to keep the region safe and obviously bring this conflict to an end.”
Legal and strategic questions
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the United States was not directly involved in the request for Australian military assets, though he acknowledged Washington has encouraged allies to provide such assistance. “The request we’ve responded to is the UAE, I want to be really clear about that,” Marles said.
When asked whether Australia was now “at war,” Albanese responded: “What Australia is participating in is collective self-defence with the countries of the Gulf.”
But experts suggested this distinction may not be legally straightforward. Don Rothwell, an expert on international law at the Australian National University, told the ABC: “Even though our contribution might be small-scale, we are now a party to the conflict. That applies irrespective of a distinction Australia may make between engaging in ‘offensive’ and ‘defensive’ conduct.”
The Wedgetail aircraft being deployed is the same sophisticated platform recently sent to Europe to assist Ukraine in its war against Russia, where it was deployed 45 times in three months. Marles said the Gulf mission would be “very similar” to that operation.
Fuel security and civilian evacuations
Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen sought to reassure Australians about domestic fuel supplies, stating that diesel and petrol supplies remain “secure” despite the global crisis. “We have as much diesel in Australia today as we had before this crisis began,” Bowen said, while warning against panic buying.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Australians remaining in the region who wish to leave to do so immediately while commercial flights remain available, however limited. She noted that Iran’s attacks on neighbouring countries had escalated overnight.
Albanese confirmed that Australia is not considering providing security for oil tankers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, despite France deploying warships to escort vessels through the critical waterway.
Background and context
Regional tensions escalated dramatically on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran, killing more than 1,250 people, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, over 150 schoolgirls, and senior military officials. Iran has retaliated with sweeping barrages targeting US bases, diplomatic facilities, and military personnel across the region, as well as multiple Israeli cities.
Australia joined the US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and 2003, losing more than 50 personnel during those conflicts. The current deployment marks Australia’s most significant military commitment to the Middle East since the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Asylum for Iranian women’s football team
Separately, Albanese confirmed that Australia has formally granted asylum to five members of Iran’s women’s football team, who were visiting Australia for the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in Queensland. The women had refused to sing the Iranian national anthem in a game against South Korea on the Gold Coast, in an apparent act of protest.
Albanese said the women had been issued humanitarian visas and moved to a safe location with the assistance of Australian Federal Police. “Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women. They’re safe here, and they should feel at home here,” he told reporters.
Australia’s decision to deploy military assets to the Gulf reflects the escalating nature of the Iran conflict and its widening geographical reach. With 115,000 Australian citizens in the region and Gulf states facing unprecedented missile and drone barrages, the Albanese government has opted for a defensive military commitment while repeatedly ruling out offensive action or ground troops.
The deployment raises complex questions about Australia’s role in the conflict, its legal status as a participant, and the potential for mission creep. As the war enters its second week with no end in sight, Australia joins other Western nations in providing support to Gulf allies while navigating domestic political sensitivities and the enduring legacy of previous Middle East interventions.
SOURCES / INPUTS
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