US–Iran war live updates: Trump ‘open to killing Mojtaba’ as Iranian footballers seek asylum in Australia

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced Australia will deploy air defence assets and missiles to the UAE as Iran’s wave of attacks continues to destabilise the Middle East.

“The United Arab Emirates alone has been forced to shoot down over 1500 rockets and drones,

“This growing wave of dangerous and destabilising attacks from Iran puts civilian lives at risk. Of course, including Australian lives, of which there are more than 20,000 people based in the UAE.

Australia will deploy an E-7A Wedgetail to the Gulf to help protect and defend Australians and other civilians.

Mr Albanese said the deployment will help protect and secure the airspace over the Gulf, with an initial period of four weeks.

The Prime Minister said medium-range air-to-air missiles to the UAE Government as well.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has shared an image of the moment he shared the news with five women from the Iranian football team that they could stay in Australia.

Tony Burke confirms that US President Donald Trump phoned Prime Minister Anthony Albanese very early this morning to discuss the case.

“Everybody’s been looking at this situation and saying, ‘Surely, is there something we can do?’... and I think lots of people would have, would have looked at that sense from President Trump of wanting to help these women, and would have seen feelings that that they shared,” he says.

The Home Affairs Minister also confirms he checked with ASIO boss Mike Burgess that the intelligence agency had no security concerns about the five women before he offered them Australian visas.

He also spoke with AFP Comissioner Krissy Barrett about security arrangements for the women.

Tony Burke says he’s spent two nights in Brisbane and that conversations started in earnest early on Monday morning with the footballers.

Australian Federal Police moved them to a safe location last night and the paperwork process began.

“These women have been weighing up an incredibly difficult decision,” he says.

“They want to make clear they are not political activists, they are athletes who want to be kept safe.”

Tony Burke says it has been made clear to the rest of the Iranian football team that they also have the opportunity to seek protection should they wish to do so.

“I respect that even though the offer continues to be there for other members of the team, it is quite possible and indeed likely that not every woman on the team will make a decision to take up the opportunity that Australia would offer to them,” he says.

“What matters here is that they have the best agency they can over those decisions, and so we’re making sure that the opportunity to seek assistance is there.”

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is providing an update on the Iranian women’s soccer team.

He says he signed off last night on humanitarian visas for the five women on the team who wanted to seek protection, and those applications were approved by his department at about 1.30am AEDT.

Mr Burke says he’s told them they are welcome to stay in Australia, “they are safe here and they should feel at home here”.

He also extends the same offer to other team members, but says at this stage it’s only those five who wanted to take it up.

US President Donald Trump has reportedly told aides he would be open to killing Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei if Tehran refuses to meet US demands, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The demands are said to include dismantling Iran’s nuclear development program, the newspaper reported, citing current and former US officials, while the White House declined to comment.

The report follows Mr Trump’s public criticism of Mr Khamenei’s appointment, which he described as “a big mistake,” adding he doubted the leadership change would last.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was appointed over the weekend to succeed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the opening wave of joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 after leading the country for 37 years.

US President Donald Trump has praised Anthony Albanese after five Iranian female soccer players staged a daring escape and were given police protection as they sought asylum in Australia.

Earlier, the President had lashed out at Mr Albanese online, suggesting the women were being forced home, but following an overnight phone call between the pair he thanked him for being “on it”.

“I just spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, concerning the Iranian National Women’s Soccer Team. He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way,” he wrote on Truth Social.

“Some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return.”

Last night, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke flew to Brisbane as events were unfolding and is scheduled to speak publicly this morning.

Five players from Iran’s women’s national football team have reportedly fled their training camp on the Gold Coast and sought refuge in Australia.

According to the office of Prince Reza Pahlavi, Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi are believed to have escaped from team handlers at their hotel and are now in a safe location under police protection.

The players fear persecution if they return to Iran after being labelled traitors for refusing to sing the national anthem during the Asian Cup in Queensland, as calls grow for Australia to grant asylum to members of the squad.