The US military has struck more than 5,000 Iranian targets since launching its attacks against the country on February 28 and has destroyed or damaged 50 Iranian vessels, US Central Command said in a fact sheet released on Monday.
Donald Trump is about to speak.
This morning, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian soccer players.
There were concerns for their safety if they returned home after they were labelled traitors on Iranian state TV for not singing their country’s national anthem during the Women’s Asian Cup on the Gold Coast.
Nos Hosseini is the secretary of the Iranian Women's Association, based in Melbourne.
She said the team had been accompanied by government minders who restrict communication between the women and the public, and monitor their behaviour, including demonstrating loyalty to the regime.
She said the women had shown bravery in seeking asylum.
“It’s wonderful news that the minister has taken these threats and this situation so seriously,” Ms Hosseini said.
“It sends a strong signal.
“The other players are undoubtedly facing a really difficult decision-making process given they need to consider their safety but also their families’ safety.”
The Israeli military says it has completed a "wave of strikes against six military airfields" in Iran.
"Numerous aircraft were dismantled, including Quds Force aircraft belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian combat helicopters," the military said.
"In addition, runways and defence and detection systems intended to operate against [Israeli air force] aircraft operating in Iranian airspace were struck."
Reporting with AFP
We are preparing to bring you Donald Trump's press conference up next.
In the meantime, here's what we learnt from the prime minister's press conference this morning:
It was a very early morning phone call between Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump.
The prime minister confirmed the US president called him just before 2am.
"We had a very positive discussion. He was concerned about the Iranian women in the soccer team and their welfare and their safety if they returned home," Albanese says.
"I was able to convey to him the action that we'd taken over the previous 48 hours and that five [members] of the team had asked for assistance and had received it and were safely located."
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has posted pictures of his meeting with the five Iranian women's soccer team players who were granted humanitarian visas last night.
The US president is due to give an update on Iran at 7:30am AEST.
But Donald Trump is currently speaking at an annual event for House Republicans.
"We will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated," he told the audience.
He's also told the gathering:
"We took a little excursion because we felt we had to do that to get rid of some people. And I think you'll see it's going to be a short-term excursion."
Defence Minister Richard Marles has given us a bit more information on the deployment of E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to the Gulf.
The spy plane will be used in a similar capacity to when it was deployed to Poland to assist Ukraine.
Eighty-five personnel will be deployed with the aircraft.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the press conference that commercial flights remain the fastest way to help Australians leave the Middle East.
She says most Australians stuck in transit in the Middle East have been able to return.
Additional flights are scheduled for coming days and the first flight from Qatar landed yesterday.
The Kuwait airport remains closed and the government has arranged bus transportation to Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia.
"Similarly, for Bahrain, DFAT officials are working with partners for similar land transport," she says.
"The majority of Australians assisted to depart Qatar over the weekend have now left Riyadh."
Anthony Albanese reiterated that the offer to the rest of the women in the Iranian soccer team for humanitarian visas is there.
"We're willing to provide assistance to other women in the team, and I think that this is a very delicate situation and it is up to them," he says.
"But we say to them, if you want our help, help is here, and we will provide that."