Airlines face disruptions that surpass previous Middle East conflicts

Australian PM speaks

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia “stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against what is an oppressive regime”.

He blamed Iran’s leadership for advancing its nuclear programme, backing armed proxies and carrying out violence against its own citizens, saying it has “claimed countless lives in Iran, but also internationally”.

Albanese also accused the regime of directing attacks on Australian soil, stating: “Australia is not immune from the regime’s actions.” He pointed to incidents linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the firebombing of the Adler Synagogue, which he said was intended to create fear and division.

He added that Australia’s Iranian-Australian community is “understandably greatly distressed” as families fear for the safety of loved ones.

Emirates flight EK449 returns to Auckland

Emirates flight EK449 has turned back to Auckland, resulting in a 15 and a half hour journey that ends where it began.

The Auckland to Dubai service usually takes around 16 hours, which explains the aircraft’s endurance. But instead of diverting en route, the decision was made to return to its departure point.

Auckland is home for many passengers and avoids the immigration and transit complications that could arise at an unscheduled diversion airport.

Who could succeed Ali Khamenei?

Under Iran’s current system of government, the supreme leader must be a senior cleric who upholds the doctrine of vilayat-e faqih — the guardianship of the Islamic jurist.

This principle holds that until the return of the Shi’ite Muslim 12th Imam, who disappeared in the ninth century, authority on earth should rest with a respected Islamic jurist. The supreme leader has the final say on all matters of state, from military strategy to judicial appointments.

Khamenei has traditionally exercised power through a tight circle of senior advisers and loyal clerics. However, following Saturday’s strikes, it remains unclear how many of those key figures are still in place — complicating any immediate succession scenario.

Iran suffers internet outage to entire country

A near-total internet blackout in Iran is continuing, making it difficult to assess what is happening inside the country.

It is just after 3.30am local time, but widespread shutdowns mean communication remains severely limited. Independent monitoring group NetBlocks says Iran has been under a near-total internet blackout for more than 12 hours.

Tehran has imposed similar restrictions before, including during the 12 day conflict with Israel in June and during deadly protests that began in late December.

United Arab Emirates intercepts more than 100 ballistic missiles

The United Arab Emirates military says it intercepted more than 100 ballistic missiles and nearly 200 drones during Iran’s retaliatory attacks following U.S. and Israeli strikes.

In a statement posted to Instagram, the UAE Ministry of Defence said 137 missiles were launched from Iran. Of those, 132 were destroyed, while five fell into the sea.

The ministry added that 209 drones were detected, with 194 intercepted and 14 also falling into the sea.

It said falling debris caused “minor material damage to a number of civilian facilities.”