Amid the escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran that is impacting the Middle East, Australia has instructed its non-essential personnel to exit Lebanon as of Friday.

This directive follows the previous withdrawal of Australian officials from Israel and the United Arab Emirates earlier this week.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong cited the “deteriorating security situation” as the reason behind the decision to evacuate staff.

In a statement released on Friday, she assured that a limited number of Australian officials would remain in Lebanon to offer consular assistance to citizens.

“Our advice to Australians remains firm: avoid traveling to Lebanon,” Wong stated.

“If you are in the Middle East, we strongly recommend that you leave if it is possible and safe,” she added.

The government told families of Australian officials in Israel and Lebanon to leave in the days before the war began on 28 February.

Voluntary departures were also offered to diplomats’ dependents in the UAE, Jordan and Qatar.

The war has so far killed about 2,000 people and caused the biggest disruption to global oil supplies in decades.

Oil prices that had ‌come down earlier this week after US President Donald Trump said the war ⁠would soon be over soared back above US$100 a barrel after an apparent escalation in Iranian attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf.

The two-week-old conflict has prompted thousands of Australians to flee the region, with the government saying on Tuesday that more than 2,600 Australians were returning home on commercial flights.

Wong said the overwhelming majority of Australian citizens who were travelling through the Middle East and became stuck when the war broke out had returned home.

— With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press.

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