The upgraded travel warning comes after Iran retaliated against an Israeli attack — part of an operation that will last "as many days as it takes", to end what Israel says is Iran's nuclear threat.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said condemnation by the U.S. and Israel of sanctions imposed on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers was "predictable", and that the two men had impeded a two-state solution.

Explosions have been heard in Iran with Israel claiming it has attacked the country’s capital Tehran. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a “special situation” in Israel. He said its schools would be closed on Friday.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says her country's sanctions target 2 Israeli politicians involved in 'extremist settler project'

ASPI Senior Analyst Dr Malcom Davis discusses Iran’s recent retaliation to Israel whereby they launched a barrage of missiles on Tel Aviv. “This was inevitable; when those Israeli strikes went in yesterday everyone knew the Iranians would retaliate,

Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned five nations that imposed sanctions on two controversial Israeli officials and called for a "reversal of the sanctions."

President Trump did warn of a possible strike, but the press reports made it seem as if a strike was not imminent. The dollar is stronger against all the G10 currencies and most emerging market currencies;

American citizens in Israel are strongly advised to limit internal travel and to maintain a high level of situational awareness. Iran remains under a longstanding "Level 4: Do Not Travel" advisory due to risks of terrorism, kidnapping, wrongful detention, and civil unrest.

Archibald Prize-winner Tim Storrier claims woke politics have hijacked the Australian arts scene while pro-Palestinian activism is allowing the “appalling beast of anti-Semitism” to emerge unchallenged.

The pound fell on Friday, in sync with other volatile currencies such as the Australian dollar, after Israel launched a flurry of strikes on Iran, sending investors scurrying into the relative safety of the dollar.

The Australian dollar falls heavily against the US dollar, losing 1 per cent against the greenback in the space of a couple of hours on the news of Israel's air strikes on Iran. The Aussie is often seen as a proxy for global financial and political instability.