Australia has urged Iran not to escalate tensions in the Middle East after Tehran’s supreme leader threatened to retaliate against Israel.

On April 1, Israel bombed an Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, killing a top general and six other military officers.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the strike tantamount to an attack on Iranian soil and said Israel “must be punished, and it shall be”.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said on Friday she had spoken with Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and urged his nation to “use its influence in the region to promote stability, not contribute to escalation”.

“Australia is deeply concerned by indications Iran is preparing military action against Israel,” she said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

“Further conflict will only add to the devastation in the Middle East.”

Senator Wong also called on Iran to push Hamas towards an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and a hostage release.

In response to the growing tensions in the region, the government’s Smartraveller website has urged Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, with updated warnings citing the potential for airspace closures, flight cancellations and diversions.

“There’s an increased threat of military and terrorist attacks against Israel and Israeli interests across the region,” the website reads.

“The security situation could deteriorate quickly, with little or no notice.”

On October 7, Hamas – designated a terrorist group by the Australian government – launched an attack on Israel that killed 1200 people and led another 200 to be taken hostage.

In the months since, Israel has launched a ground offensive and bombing campaign on Gaza that has killed more than 33,000 people and displaced another 1.7 million according to the local health ministry.

Though many countries have attempted to send aid into the region, the deteriorating humanitarian situation has made it difficult to reach those who need it and Israeli authorities have continued to block resources, Oxfam says.

As a result, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification projects about 1.1 million people are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity in Gaza.

Since then, conflict has spread across the Middle East as various groups and nations back Gaza, with Iran-backed Houthi forces blocking critical commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea in support of Palestine.

With Reuters

This post was originally published on Michael West.