All six Gulf States including Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar have been impacted by Iranian strikes since the war began, which have targeted civilian infrastructure including airports. The Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong says the federal government had received requests from some of those countries for protection against drone and missile attacks.
An Australian security analyst told the ABC Australia had limited capacity for counter-drone activity, beyond a project called LAND156, which is still in early development. The defence force does have a system called NASAMS, a short-range surface-to-air missile system, which could be deployed alongside a small detachment of soldiers. Kathryn speaks to the ABC's Nick Grimm about what the Government is considering.
Smoke rises following airstrikes in a central area of the Iranian capital Tehran on 6 March, 2026 (local time). Photo: ATTA KENARE / AFP
