Journalist: You mentioned it's for the US and Israel to talk about the legality. Can you just explain why our language when it comes to stuff like Russia and Ukraine, we are happy to talk about illegal actions under the UN and all the rest of it. But here it seems different?
Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: I'll come to that, can I just first say this is a very perilous and challenging situation that we see in the Middle East. Iran, on one day, hit nine countries. That sort of spread and depth of aggression has not been seen before. Also, for the first time in that, we have seen the hubs in the UAE also hit, and that has obviously meant this crisis, this conflict is much wider than many would have hoped, including the Australian Government. We stand in solidarity with the UAE, and we also say to the Australians who are in the region, we understand how distressing this is. We are doing everything we can, and will do everything we can to assist you. In relation to the legal basis, I've made clear we are not participating in these strikes. The question of the legal basis for the strikes is a matter for Israel and for the United States. The Prime Minister I think went to that very clearly last night but I will say this, we do support the action being taken to ensure Iran does not achieve a nuclear weapon, that it is not able to destabilise peace and security in the world and in the region. We do support such action and I think you have seen in these last 72 hours or so, Iran's capacity to do that.
Journalist: Is it a delicate mix, though, for Australia to both have support for the US, show support for the US and show that, have that those, make sure that those actions are still within international law?
Foreign Minister: What I'd say to you is, we know what Iran has been doing, this did not start with new strikes. This has gone on for decades, and we know that Iran has been party to the funding of proxies, the engagement and acts of terrorism, including against Australians on Australian soil.
Journalist: Do UN Security Council resolutions not matter anymore, you know, to authorise the use of force?
Foreign Minister: It is for the US and Israel to explain the legal basis, and they've made comments about that. Obviously, as the Prime Minister said, that's not intelligence we are party to. Charles?
Journalist: Senator, has there been any discussion of repatriation flights and what are the possibilities like for that?
Foreign Minister: I spoke to the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates this morning, we discussed the number of Australians who are in the UAE. He informed me there are some 24,000 – so this is a very large number of Australians. Some are resident, and some are people transiting. We discussed when flights would become available. He did tell me that some flights have become available, and obviously we will press if flights are available, for those flights to be available – it is likely, in terms of volume, to be quicker, getting Australians home, if we can get commercial flights, if the airspace becomes available but we are working on a range of contingencies.
Journalist: Some flights have already left, as you say, in some other governments, what would be the tipping point for a repat flight put on by the government?
Foreign Minister: It's one of the contingencies we always look at but the scale of the numbers at the moment means that commercial flights resuming will be the most effective way to get Australians home. Thank you very much.