Australia has suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran due to the deteriorating security environment in Iran and has directed the departure of all Australian officials, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday.

Australia’s ambassador to Iran will remain in the region to support the government’s response to the crisis, Wong said.

“We are continuing planning to support Australians seeking to depart Iran, and we remain in close contact with other partner countries,” Wong said in a statement.

Iran threatens U.S. bases after Israeli strikes hit nuclear, military targets

Iran on Friday warned that U.S. bases in the Middle East are within its reach, following Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites that killed top officials.

The U.N. Mission to Iran issued a letter to the U.N. Security Council, saying the U.S., as a “backer” of Israel, “shall be held fully accountable.”

The letter condemned what it called a “serious threat to international security” after the strikes killed “four military commanders, one Iranian official allegedly involved in the nuclear talks with the U.S., and two nuclear scientists.”

Earlier this week, ahead of a now-cancelled meeting between the U.S. and Iran in Oman, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said: “If a conflict is imposed on us … all U.S. bases are within our reach, and we will boldly target them in host countries.”

The Trump administration announced a partial evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Iraq and authorized military dependents to leave certain locations in the region.

President Trump told reporters: “We have a lot of American people in this area. And I said, we got to tell them to get out because something could happen soon, and I don’t want to be the one that didn’t give any warning and missiles are flying into their buildings.”

According to October 2024 Defense Department figures, about 40,000 U.S. service members are stationed across the Middle East. The U.S. operates at least 19 sites in countries including Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the UAE, eight of which are permanent.

Iran analyst Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said: “Given the fact that in January 2020, Iran launched short-range, precision strike ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Iraq for killing Qasem Soleimani… this is not a theoretical exercise.”

“There is a political element to the regime continuously threatening America… to put as much daylight between America and Israel as possible.”

Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

A British man stranded in Israel has criticised the UK Government for not arranging flights to get him home.

Zak Wagman, 26, is unable to fly home following the closure of Israel’s airspace amid the conflict with Iran.

He said he has had to take cover in a bomb shelter most nights and said there has been frequent sirens and empty streets around his hotel in Herzliya, in the district of Tel Aviv.

The Conservative councillor for Stanmore, who works in PR and communications, arrived in Israel last Wednesday to attend a family member’s wedding.

He was due to fly back to London last Monday but says his flight with Israeli airline El Al was cancelled.

He remains with his father, father’s partner and brother and says he is waiting for advice from the Government.

Mr Wagman told the PA news agency: “There was always a level of apprehension given the ongoing situation since October 7 but nothing that caused me to think anything other than coming.

“I have been here before and all the guidance indicated it was safe and acceptable to come here.”

He said the bomb sirens heard through the night sounded “crazy”.

Mr Wagman added: “Being someone that’s lived in London, I have never until last week experienced bomb sirens or rockets going off and having to get down quickly to bomb shelters.