Canberra, March 18 (ANI) — The Australian Department of Defence has confirmed that an Iranian strike impacted part of Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday morning, causing minor damage to Australian facilities but injuring no personnel.
The strike occurred in the early hours and, according to the department, resulted in minor damage to an accommodation block and a medical facility within the Australian section of the base. All Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel deployed to the Middle East are reported safe and accounted for, and no ADF members were injured.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said an “Iranian projectile” struck a road just outside the base at about 9:15am AEDT, igniting a small fire that affected clinical and housing areas. He said it was not yet clear whether the strike was caused by a missile or a drone. Defence officials have been reviewing and updating force-protection measures to reduce risk to personnel across the region.
Al Minhad has hosted an ongoing ADF presence for years and currently houses more than 100 Australian personnel. The facility also supports British forces and a small contingent of US military personnel and functions as a hub for military logistics, surveillance and training.
This is the second reported strike on the base since the outbreak of the conflict. An earlier incident, described as an Iranian drone strike in the opening days of the war, did not damage Australian facilities.
Asked whether the base was deliberately targeted, Albanese said Tehran appears to be carrying out “random attacks” across the region. The UAE has experienced intense bombardment during the current hostilities; the UAE defence ministry has estimated that nearly 1,700 drones and missiles were directed at the country in the first week of the war, with about 90 percent intercepted.
Opposition Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson welcomed the news that no Australians were hurt but warned the strike was a reminder that the Iranian regime is not a friend of Australia. He repeated the Coalition’s call for deploying E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to support regional partners and urged the government to ensure all necessary resources are provided to protect ADF members.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the welfare and safety of Australian service members remain the government’s top priority. He reassured the public that no Australians were injured and that the government continues to monitor the situation closely while adjusting protection measures as needed.
Australian authorities continue to assess the damage and monitor regional developments as volatility persists across the Middle East.
