The Australian government has upgraded its travel advice for Bahrain and Kuwait to the highest warning level, urging Australians not to travel to either country as security conditions across the Middle East continue to deteriorate.
In a joint statement, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Matt Thistlethwaite announced that both Gulf nations have been raised to Level 4 – Do Not Travel under Australia’s Smartraveller advisory system.
The move places Bahrain and Kuwait alongside Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, Syria and Yemen as destinations Australians are advised to avoid because of the heightened security risks.
“The situation in the Middle East remains unpredictable,” the ministers said, warning that military strikes are intensifying in several parts of the region and that there is a risk of further escalation.
Australians currently in countries covered by a Do Not Travel advisory have been urged to consider leaving if it is safe to do so while commercial flights remain available.
The government also maintained Level 3 – Reconsider your need to travel advisories for other countries across the region, including Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Jordan.
While acknowledging that many Australians transit through major aviation hubs in the Middle East on their way to other destinations, the government urged travellers to carefully assess whether such journeys are essential.
Officials warned that the rapidly evolving security situation could disrupt travel with little notice. Airspace may be closed, flights cancelled, borders shut and communications—including phone and internet services—interrupted, potentially leaving travellers stranded for extended periods.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Smartraveller advice remains under constant review and could change at short notice as the regional security situation develops.
Australians currently in the Middle East, or those planning to travel to or through the region, have been encouraged to subscribe to Smartraveller updates to receive the latest travel advice.
