Iranian strikes hit near Australian airbase in UAE, Albanese confirms

## Summary
Prime minister Anthony Albanese says ‘the Iranian regime is engaging in random attacks right across the region’ following strikes near an Australian airbase in the UAE Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAP View image in fullscreen Prime minister Anthony Albanese says ‘the Iranian regime is engaging in random attacks right across the region’ following strikes near an Australian airbase in the UAE Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAP Iranian strikes hit near Australian airbase in UAE, Albanese confirms Prime minister says no Australian personnel were injured and maintains Australia is not at war with Iran Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An Iranian projectile hit near Australia’s headquarters at the Al Minhad airbase in the United Arab Emirates , damaging an accommodation block and a medical facility. Albanese could not confirm if Iran directly targeted the Al Minhad base while maintaining Australia was not at war. “The Iranian regime is engaging in random attacks right across the region. Albanese confirmed the latest strikes as he declined to criticise Donald Trump after the president claimed the US never needed help from allies – including Australia – to fight the war in Iran. The former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, a longtime Trump critic, said the president’s latest remarks showed he “doesn’t respect” his allies. “It really just underlines … the importance of Australia being more independent, exercising our own sovereignty and recognising that the course we have been undertaking, really since the Morrison government, of becoming more and more dependent on the United States, is absolutely the wrong course, because we are making ourselves more dependent on the US at a time when the US is less dependable,” Turnbull said.

## Article Content
Prime minister Anthony Albanese says ‘the Iranian regime is engaging in random attacks right across the region’ following strikes near an Australian airbase in the UAE
Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAP
View image in fullscreen
Prime minister Anthony Albanese says ‘the Iranian regime is engaging in random attacks right across the region’ following strikes near an Australian airbase in the UAE
Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/AAP
Iranian strikes hit near Australian airbase in UAE, Albanese confirms
Prime minister says no Australian personnel were injured and maintains Australia is not at war with Iran
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An Iranian projectile hit near Australia’s headquarters at the Al Minhad airbase in the
United Arab Emirates
, damaging an accommodation block and a medical facility.
The prime minister,
Anthony Albanese
, confirmed that no Australian personnel were injured in the strike at 9.15am AEDT on Wednesday morning.
Albanese could not confirm if
Iran
directly targeted the Al Minhad base while maintaining Australia was not at war.
“The Iranian regime is engaging in random attacks right across the region. We know that is the case,” the prime minister said.
The federal government last week announced
it would send a specialist surveillance aircraft and stocks of air-to-air missiles to the UAE to protect Australians in the Gulf state, which has been targeted by Tehran in retaliation for the US and Israel’s bombings of Iran.
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Australia has maintained a smaller force at Al Minhad airbase since the end of operations in Afghanistan. Defence last year said there were about 50 core ADF staff and a total of 70 to 80 Australians at the base at any time.
The
same base
was hit in a drone strike earlier in the conflict.
Albanese said the projectile struck a road that leads to the base, sparking a fire that damaged the accommodation block and medical facility.
Asked directly if Australia was now at war, Albanese said “no” and refused to elaborate.
Albanese confirmed the latest strikes as he declined to criticise Donald Trump after the president claimed the US never needed help from allies – including Australia – to fight the war in Iran.
Is Australia at war with Iran? The fine line between ‘defensive operations’ and complicity
Read more
In contrast, the Liberal frontbencher and former soldier, Andrew Hastie, said Trump’s outburst was “petulant” and “not how you treat allies” in a rare direct rebuke of the president from a member of either of the major parties.
The US president had been demanding US allies send warships to help unblock the strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed in retaliation against the US and Israel’s strikes that triggered the latest Middle East conflict.
The closure has caused the
largest oil supply disruption in history
, sending commodity prices soaring around the world.
View image in fullscreen
RAAF aircraft at Al Minhad airbase in 2011. Australia has maintained a smaller force at the UAE airbase since the end of operations in Afghanistan. Defence last year said there were about 50 core ADF staff and a total of 70 to 80 Australians at the base at any time.
Photograph: Leading Seaman Paul Berry/Department of Defence
In a post to social media, Trump said most Nato “allies” had informed the US it would not provide direct assistance.
The president went on to claim that because the US has had such “military success” in Iran it would “no longer ‘need’, or desire, the NATO countries’ assistance – WE NEVER DID’.
“Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” he posted to his
Truth Social
social media platform.
“In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”
The Australian government on Tuesday confirmed it would not send warships to the strait of Hormuz and had not received a request to do so.
Appearing on ABC’s RN Breakfast on Wednesday morning, Hastie was asked for his reaction to Trump’s post.
“I thought it was a petulant post from a president under immense pressure,” he said.
“One of the key parts of a relationship is reciprocity – we’ve been a longstanding ally of the United States, we’ve met our obligations with that alliance framework, we’ve got a proud history – and I just don’t think that’s how you treat allies. I think it’s a reflection on his character more than us.”
‘It’s a different world now’: Albanese calls snap national cabinet meeting over fuel crisis
Read more
Hastie supported the US and Israel’s initial strikes on Iran and believes the federal government’s decision to help defend the United Arab Emirates was in the national interest.
But as a veteran of the Afghanistan conflict, the former Special Air Service soldier is sceptical about attempts to engineer regime change in other countries.
It is the second time
Hastie has public

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- The president went on to claim that because the US has had such “military success” in Iran it would “no longer ‘need’, or desire, the NATO countries’ assistance – WE NEVER DID’. “Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” he posted to his Truth Social social media platform. “In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!” The Australian government on Tuesday confirmed it would not send warships to the strait of Hormuz and had not received a request to do so.

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- Albanese could not confirm if Iran directly targeted the Al Minhad base while maintaining Australia was not at war. “The Iranian regime is engaging in random attacks right across the region.
- But as a veteran of the Afghanistan conflict, the former Special Air Service soldier is sceptical about attempts to engineer regime change in other countries.
- It’s his second and final term, and I’m sure the relationship will continue regardless of who sits in the Oval Office,” he said.
- Explore more on these topics Australian military US-Israel war on Iran United Arab Emirates Australian foreign policy Iran Anthony Albanese news Share Reuse this content

### Expert Commentary
This article covers australia, albanese, iran topics. Notable strengths include discussion of australia. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1131.