'Now it the Time': After Spain and Germany, Australia Urges its Nationals to Evacuate Lebanon

Sydney: Following the escalating tensions in the Middle East between Israel and Iran, Australia urges its citizens in Lebanon to evacuate the region as soon as possible.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the government had secured 500 seats on flights scheduled to leave Beirut airport on Saturday.

"We are very worried about the situation escalating. If Beirut airport closes, the options to leave become even less. Please take whatever option is available to you. Please do not wait for your preferred route... If you are able to secure a seat on a flight, please take that seat. If you have a seat on today's flight, don't delay," she said.

"Now is not the time for you to wait and see, now is the time to leave," Wong added.

This comes a day after Spain and Germany too urged their nationals to return.

Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles on Wednesday said that the country is preparing to evacuate up to 350 citizens from Lebanon, with plans to deploy two military aircraft as early as Thursday.

In an interview with Antena 3 TV, Robles confirmed that the Spanish military is fully prepared for the operation. "The Spanish airplanes are ready, and the staff are ready, as always with the professionalism of the Spanish Army," she stated.

The decision comes in response to requests from a group of Spanish nationals currently in Lebanon who have expressed their desire to return home.

Furthermore, Germany summoned Iran's Iranian Ambassador to condemn Tehran's missile attack. The German government has also issued an advisory for its citizens advising them to leave Iran immediately.

“We summoned the Iranian ambassador,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer tells reporters, adding that the ambassador himself was not in Berlin and that the charge d’affaires had attended instead.

According to the reports, Germany's Foreign Ministry urged its citizens on Wednesday to leave Iran, saying the situation there was volatile and could change at any time.

The warning came after Iran fired waves of ballistic missiles at Israel, and Israel stepped up its fighting with Hezbollah by sending troops over the border into Lebanon.