Canberra, June 17: The Australian government has reduced travel warnings for several Middle Eastern countries, including Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following a peace agreement between the United States and Iran.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced on Wednesday that travel advice for Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE has been downgraded from Level 4 (Do Not Travel) to Level 3 (Reconsider Travel). However, certain areas in Israel remain at Level 4.
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, Wong stated that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade deemed the current situation in these countries appropriate for a lower-level warning. Nevertheless, she urged Australians to continue avoiding non-essential travel.
In a joint statement with Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Matt Thistlethwaite, Wong advised, “If you must transit through these areas, minimize your time spent there and avoid non-essential activities.”
For Australian citizens, a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning remains in effect for Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen, while Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia are under a Level 3 warning.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that an agreement has been reached with Iran. He warned that Iran would face serious consequences if it attempts to develop or acquire nuclear weapons. Trump also praised Qatar’s role in facilitating the agreement and expressed hope that the next phase of negotiations would be smoother.
Speaking at a bilateral meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Trump described the agreement as a significant achievement following weeks of tension in the Middle East.
Trump stated, “We have reached an agreement with Iran, and it should be successful. Now it is moving into the second phase, which I believe will actually be easier. I did not want to attack them last week, but we had no choice, and we did it twice. In fact, we were going to do it a third time, but we did not have to.”
The U.S. President dismissed reports suggesting that Washington would provide economic aid to Iran under this agreement. He clarified, “We are not investing any money in Iran. The rumors that circulated yesterday were absurd. We have the right to go there and do something if we wish, but we have no obligation to invest money in Iran.”
Trump emphasized that the primary goal of the agreement is to ensure that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons.
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