Australia Launches Online Crisis Portal as 115,000 Nationals Stranded in Middle East Amid Airspace Closures

Australia has revealed that around 115,000 of its citizens and permanent residents are currently stuck in the Middle East, unable to leave due to airspace closures triggered by recent conflict after US‑Israeli military action in response to attacks linked to Iran.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters the government is closely monitoring the situation and is hopeful that commercial flights will soon resume, which would allow large numbers of Australians to return home more quickly.

“We have about 115,000 Australians in the region. That is a very large number of people,” Ms Wong said. “The most effective way to bring them home would be for commercial flights to resume, because that’s where the capacity exists.”

Because the airspace over parts of the Middle East remains closed, even Australian government evacuation flights are currently unable to fly in or out.

When asked if the government might organize its own repatriation flights, Ms Wong said authorities are still assessing options and are in ongoing talks with major airlines.

To make it easier for people in distress to be contacted, the federal government has now launched an online crisis portal. Through this platform, Australians in Israel, Iran, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — along with their immediate family members — can register their details so that officials know where they are and can respond if the situation changes.

Ms Wong also touched on the broader conflict, acknowledging the recent killing of Iran’s supreme leader in the US‑Israeli strikes. She stressed that the tragic loss of life is deeply felt, and that the focus for Australia right now is on the safety and wellbeing of its citizens abroad.