SARAH ABO, HOST: Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong joins us live now from Canberra. Good morning to you, Senator. Those really emotional scenes at the airport had us all a bit teary this morning, but there are, of course, still tens of thousands of Australians stranded. Do you have a rough timeline on the work being done to bring the rest of them home?
PENNY WONG, FOREIGN MINISTER: First, can I just say how wonderful it was to see that footage of people at the airport and to see people coming home and being greeted and, you know, certainly yesterday we knew the plane was scheduled to take off, and I think we were all on the edge of our seats hoping it would, because there was always a possibility, if there'd been a strike or if it hadn't been safe, that it would be cancelled. So, I'm really pleased that has happened, but as you know, there's a lot more work to do and we know that. I want to start by saying, obviously, this is a conflict zone, and so the first thing we have to think about is how do we keep Australians safe and secure. That's our first priority, and what can we do to get them home, Now, we are deploying additional foreign affairs personnel to the region to help with consular requirements, that is, to help people. The best way to get people home, the fastest way, is for commercial flights to restart.
KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST: Okay you're not sending any further military assets to the area?
FOREIGN MINISTER: Obviously, I can't comment on some of those contingencies, but I can assure people we are looking at all contingencies and working on what arrangements could be made, given the circumstances. But I again emphasise, we have 24,000 Australians in the UAE alone, so the fastest way to get as many people home as possible is for commercial flights to restart. Now, I understand, and I just I want to make sure I'm very careful about this because things can cancel at the last minute, because we are talking about a conflict zone. But I understand there are three flights scheduled today from the UAE, so we are hoping, all of Australia is hoping, that those flights can depart safely.
ABO: I guess there is a bit of a lingering question, Senator, around consulate staff, Australian staff being given perhaps, a heads up before Australian citizens to come home. What's behind that?
FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, that's just not true and I really wish, in a crisis, that we didn't see the Opposition trying to, you know, say things which aren't true when people are already stressed. We have a no double standards policy, a very strict one, and it was complied with. So, at the same time, direction is given for people to depart it is also made public through Smartraveller, through Smartraveller on the website and online and the media were advised. But I want to make clear we didn't anticipate and I don't think anybody did, and if the Opposition did, then they should have told us that we would have seen Iran hit now 11 countries. So, our advice was focused on, for departure, required departure, was focused on Israel and Lebanon, which logically is where you think the conflict might be. Iran has now hit 11 countries and what has happened has never happened before, which is the hubs, including the UAE hubs, that we all know because we've travelled through them, were hit within the first 24 hours. Now, that was not something we anticipated and if we had anticipated that, we obviously would have made sure our travel advice reflected that.
STEFANOVIC: Look, overnight you would have seen too, the US confirmed it struck an Iranian warship near Sri Lanka. That's a fair way from home at 4,000km’s. There's been no formal declaration of war yet between the US and Iran. So, is that legal?
FOREIGN MINISTER: Look, I've said for some time, since the Saturday night, I think it was, or the Sunday morning, that the legal basis of this is a matter for Israel and the United States.
STEFANOVIC: But isn't it international law?
FOREIGN MINISTER: Well what we say is that we know Iran has been engaged in activities in relation to a nuclear program. We know that because it has not complied with UN Security Council resolutions. We also know from our own experience that Iran is party to sponsoring terrorism around the world and when we've been subject to it here in Australia, where they directed an attack on Australians.
ABO: So, do we follow the same rules then, as a despotic regime like Iran? Is that how it works?
FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, no, we are not participating in these strikes. And what I would say we know that the degrading of military assets is part of conflict. But I am concerned that the conflict is spreading so much. I am concerned, for example, that Iran is now seeking to strike Türkiye, which is a NATO member. Now, the more this conflict spreads, the harder it will be for peace and stability to be resumed. And at some point there has to be a return to diplomacy and dialogue for there to be stability.
STEFANOVIC: A return to international law at some point. A lot on your plate Senator, appreciate your time, thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER: Thank you.