ABC global affairs editor Laura Tingle is stranded in Dubai after airspace across much of the Middle East was shut down amid Iran’s retaliatory attacks following US and Israeli missile strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader.
Tingle said she hoped to provide Australians with information about what was going on in the region while she is stuck there.
‘You have probably heard about ‘massive barrages’ of missiles and drones pouring down on Gulf States, like the United Arab Emirates, from Iran,’ Tingle said.
‘For the tens of thousands of Australians trapped in the UAE cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, that sounds pretty scary. So far, though, the country’s air defence systems, like surface-to-air missiles, have destroyed the vast majority of these weapons, and the damage has been quite minimal, given the amount of weaponry involved.’
Tingle said she’d experienced the ‘odd bang’ when the projectiles are destroyed in the sky, but has only seen a few plumes of smoke ‘here and there.’
Tingle said a significant share of the destruction, and some of the deaths, has been attributed to debris from intercepted missiles falling back to the ground.
‘The nagging concern, however, here in Dubai is whether there are sufficient supplies of these air defence missiles and systems to maintain that level of defence if Iran continues its relentless campaign,’ she added.
‘Things could get pretty nasty if the drone supply starts to run down.’
ABC star Laura Tingle is stranded in Dubai after airspace across the Middle East was shut down
Footage has been shared across social media of Iranian missiles hitting iconic Dubai landmarks
Around 115,000 Australians are believed to be stuck across the Middle East, with the escalating crisis causing major disruptions to international air travel.
A small number of flights have resumed from Gulf airports as governments try to move thousands of people impacted by the airspace closure.
An Emirates flight bound for Sydney left Dubai on Wednesday morning and is expected to land at Sydney Airport after 10.30pm AEST.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong earlier confirmed the flight ahead of its departure but warned the situation remained ‘perilous’.
‘This is a consular crisis that dwarfs … any that Australia has had to deal with in terms of numbers of people,’ she told ABC Radio.
‘Given that hubs are being attacked, this has made this crisis much more difficult for everyone to navigate.’
People are advised to stay in contact with their airlines as the situation is rapidly changing.
While some limited flights are resuming out of the UAE, services are largely grounded, leaving tens of thousands of Australians potentially trapped for weeks.
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115,000 Australians are believed to be stuck across the Middle East as airspaces remain closed
Asked if people could fly out of the Middle East via Saudi Arabia or Oman, Wong said all options were being considered while noting the conflict had spread to the broader region.
Wong maintained commercial flights remained the best way to get large numbers of people back to Australia.
The war began on February 28 with the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli strike.
President Donald Trump said the US’ objectives were to destroy Iran’s naval and missile capabilities and prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He said he expects the operation to take 4 to 5 weeks.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society on Monday said that attacks on 131 Iranian cities have killed at least 555 people so far in the Islamic Republic. Strikes in Tehran apparently took Iran’s state television off the air.
Iran has launched retaliatory missiles and drones targeting Israel and nearby Arab Gulf countries hosting U.S. forces.
Several ships have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes. Shipping companies suspended their vessels’ traffic through the Suez Canal, adding to fears the strikes could rattle global markets.
Elsewhere, fire and smoke poured out of the U.S. Embassy compound in Kuwait after an Iranian attack.
Iran has stepped up its attacks on economic targets and US missions across the Middle East
Bahrain, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, says it has intercepted dozens of missiles and attack drones, with one person killed.
In Israel, 11 people have been killed, nine of whom died in a strike on a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh.
In Iraq, an Shiite militia claimed a drone attack on Monday that targeted U.S. troops at the airport in Baghdad.
Authorities have also revealed at least 22 people were killed in clashes with police in northern Pakistan and in the southern port city of Karachi after hundreds of protesters stormed the U.S. Consulate there.
Iran has now expanded its attacks to regional oil infrastructure, directly targeting the lifeblood of the region’s economy.
