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Late Tuesday night, the Australian Defence Force evacuated 119 Australians and their families from Tel Aviv on repatriation flights.
Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh said Australians should continue engaging with DFAT, but regular commercial flights may soon be available out of Israel as airspace opens.
“Australians that are still looking to leave will be able to find more regular ways of getting out. And as the ceasefire has taken hold and continues, that should see a return to more ordinary transport operations,” he told the ABC on Wednesday morning.
“We will continue to observe the situation closely to ensure that we are indeed witnessing a return to normal transport options, but we are starting to see some advancement in this area,” stated Keogh.
Keogh said the situation had not stabilised to a point where military repatriation flights were no longer required.
With the airspace in Iran still closed, Australians hoping to leave the country need to seek a pathway over land.
Keogh mentioned that Australian consular support is accessible at the Iran-Azerbaijan border. SBS News reports that those who are stranded are also making their way towards Iran’s borders with Armenia and Turkey.
Chalmers says Trump’s outburst reflects ‘high stakes’ of ceasefire
The US president launched an attack on both nations for breaching the agreement, saying “they don’t know what the f**k they are doing” on live television.
His comments came after Israel accused Iran of breaking the truce. The Islamic Republic denied launching any missiles and said Israel’s attacks had continued for an hour-and-a-half beyond the time the truce was meant to start.
The ceasefire appeared to hold on Wednesday AEST. Neither government has released the details of the deal or what obligations each side has accepted.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Trump’s language shows “the gravity” of both sides sticking to the ceasefire negotiated.
“The stakes are very high in the Middle East. The consequences of this ceasefire falling over are pretty grave, and I think the President’s blunt language reflects that,” he said.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz reassured his US counterpart Pete Hegseth Israel would respect the truce “as long as the other side does”, thanking the US for its assistance in neutralising Iran’s nuclear development.
It echoes similar comments by Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has urged Israel to uphold the terms of the agreement brokered by the US and Qatar.
