US-Israel Iran war updates: Iran vows ‘eye for an eye’, Trump issue revenge vow for Strait of Hormuz mines

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that the two additional people granted asylum were swept into an interview room at the Gold Coast airport, where they were able to be alone with just department officials and an interpreter.

“In that situation, what we made sure of was there was no rushing. There was no pressure,” he said.

“Everything was about ensuring the dignity for those individuals to make a choice.

“Obviously, the one thing, the one pressure we couldn’t take away, was the context.

“We couldn’t take away the pressure of the context for these individuals, of what might have been said to them beforehand, what pressures they might have felt with their own family members.”

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has confirmed that two additional people from the Iranian women’s football team have been granted asylum.

Mr Burke told reporters on Wednesday morning that of the two additional people, one was a player and the other was a support person.

“When I met with them, I made them the same offer that I had made the five players the night before, and that was that, if they wanted to receive a humanitarian visa for Australia – which would have a pathway to a permanent visa – I had the paperwork ready to execute that immediately,” he said.

Iran’s women’s soccer team arrived in Kuala Lumpu on a flight from Sydney after Australia granted some of their teammates humanitarian visas after they sought asylum over safety concerns on their return home for not singing the national anthem.

“They both said that they did. I signed off on that, asked the department to start processing straightaway and, overnight, processing happened.”

The rest of the delegation, with the exception of a few, had been taken aside at Gold Coast airport after going through customs and immigration, Mr Burke said.

Latika M Bourke writes: Former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s immediate support for Donald Trump’s war against Iran was purely out of political “cunning.”

And the Howard government veteran cabinet minister blasted revelations that Australian sailors on board a US submarine were sent to their cabins to avoid taking part in the sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean as “childish.”

Speaking exclusively to The Nightly, Mr Downer, who is Australia’s longest-serving foreign minister, said Mr Albanese’s decision was the right one and stood in contrast to the damage the UK’s Labour leader Keir Starmer who had degraded Britain’s standing to that of Belgium by opposing US action and refusing Pentagon access to military bases.

Australia and Canada’s swift and strong support for Mr Trump’s attempted regime change in Iran has been frequently cited by the British press, which has contrasted their position with Sir Keir, who initially refused the US permission to use British military bases and said he did not support “regime change from the air.”

He said he was pleased Mr Albanese was supporting our ally.

“And it’s not just an ally. The United States is the cornerstone of the Western Alliance, and so if you don’t support the cornerstone of the Western alliance you’re undermining the Western Alliance, so in that sense, I was pleased Mr Albanese did what he did; I thought it was good,” Mr Downer said.

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Defence Minister Richard Marles says while Australia’s recent deployment of military assets to the Middle East was in response to UAE’s call for support, the United States has also made requests during the conflict with Iran.

It comes after Anthony Albanese’s commitment on Tuesday to send the E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft and an unspecified quantity of medium-range missiles, known as an AMRAAM.

Mr Marles said Australia had received a range of defensive capability-based requests since the US and Israel launched their attack on Iran late last month.

“The request that we’ve responded to is the UAE,” Mr Marles told ABC’s 7.30.

“I spoke to my counterpart in the UAE over the course of the weekend, and they were gratefully receiving the offer that we’ve made.

“A number of other countries, including the US have made requests which are centred on helping to provide for the defence of the Gulf countries.”

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British Airways has confirmed it is pulling flights to and from the Middle East, with a domino effect expected to cause chaos for flight routes around the world.

“Due to the continuing uncertainty of the situation in the Middle East and airspace instability, we’ve had to temporarily reduce our flying schedule in the region,” a statement said.

“We’ve cancelled all flights to and from Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv until later this month and to and from Abu Dhabi until later this year.

British Airways did not share further details about those two frames.

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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has confirmed US strikes have been unleashed on multiple boats over fears Iran was laying underwater mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

“At the direction of President Trump, @CENTCOM has been eliminating inactive mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz—wiping them out with ruthless precision,” he wrote on X.

“We will not allow terrorists to hold the Strait of Hormuz hostage. To the weakened Iranian regime: you have officially been put on notice!”

President Donald Trump says that within “the last few hours”, the US has destroyed 10 mine-laying boats.

It comes after he threatened to unleash an unseen force on Iran if mines were laid in the Strait of Hormuz.

“I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!” he wrote on Truth Social.

The US Central Command says it is now “degrading” Iran’s ability to “project power at sea”, releasing a new unclassified video of multiple strikes on smaller vessels.

The escalation comes amid growing reports that Iran was “taking steps” to unleash its underwater mine stockpile, planting the dangerous weapons throughout the Strait of Hormuz.

“U.S. forces are degrading the Iranian regime’s ability to project power at sea and harass international shipping,” it said on X.

“For years, Iranian forces have threatened freedom of navigation in waters essential to American, regional and global security and prosperity.”

The White House confirmed on Tuesday that no oil tankers had been escorted through the key waterway yet, something that could cause global panic as oil stockpiles dwindle.

After Iran vowed not to let a single drop of oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz, reports have now emerged claiming mines are being laid in the key water way that was sink ships that attempt to traverse it.

CNN and CBS have claimed multiple sources have confirmed mines are and have been laid in recent days.

The US has sunk over 50 Iranian Navy ships, however, the regime has smaller boats.

An IRGC source told CNN the Strait of Hormuz was a “death valley” in its current state due to the amount of mines that could explode ships.

Exact numbers are not known, however, intelligence suggests Iran may have stockpiles of 2000 - 6000 mines, and the regime is reportedly “taking steps” to unleash the new threat.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia was already a target for Iran before Australian military assets and personnel were deployed to the Gulf.

Senator Wong said Australia was engaging in “collective self-defence”, helping Gulf countries defend themselves from Iran’s attacks, something that was also helping to keep Australians in the region safe.

“Australians are already in countries that are being targeted by Iran,” Senator Wong told Sunrise.

“Iran has not needed provocation. Iran has already directed attacks on Australian soil”, mentioning the Government’s move in 2025 to expel the Iranian ambassador.

“While we still had a diplomatic relationship with Iran, Australia was already a target,” Senator Wong added.

“I think we all understand what kind of regime we are dealing with here.”