Australia will send reconnaissance aircraft to the Middle East and provide missiles to the United Arab Emirates to assist in countering Iran.

Australia will send a reconnaissance aircraft to the Middle East and provide advanced air-to-air missiles to the United Arab Emirates to defend against Iranian attacks and keep the local airspace open, helping stranded Australians return home. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defense Minister Richard Marles stated in a release that since Iran began attacking Gulf countries, the UAE alone has shot down more than 1,500 rockets and drones. They said the wave of dangerous and destabilizing attacks is growing more intense, putting civilians at risk. On Tuesday, Marles told reporters in Canberra that Australia will deploy an E-7A Wedgetail reconnaissance aircraft with 85 personnel, expected to be operational by the end of this week at the latest. The Wedgetail is initially expected to be deployed for four weeks, providing long-range reconnaissance capabilities to help maintain Gulf airspace security.