Hundreds of Australians leave Beirut as officials reprimand a top Iranian in Canberra

Hundreds of Australians will leave besieged Lebanon overnight to flee a conflict that has led Australian officials to reprimand Iran’s ambassador for praising Hezbollah.

Iran’s top diplomat in Canberra, Ahmad Sadeghi, described slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as a “blessed martyr” in a social media post on Sunday.

He also praised the Lebanese Shiite group, which is considered a terror group in Australia, the US and Britain, and lashed out at Israel and what he called “the despicable entity of the Zionist regime,” sparking controversy and leading to demands from the opposition to expel him.

Australian officials met with the diplomat on Friday and the acting foreign ministry secretary “reminded (Sadeghi) of his obligation to respect Australian law and stay out of domestic affairs,” the government said in a statement. It is the second time that Australia has warned the Iranian diplomat against using inflammatory language.

The opposition has demanded Labor oust Sadeghi, arguing the flare-up is a test of Labor’s resolve against Iran and its “axis of resistance”, including Hezbollah and Hamas, which are committed to Israel’s destruction.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said it remains useful to have a channel of communication with Iran, even as she and other ministers consistently point to the Islamic republic’s malign influence in the Middle East.

Albanese said Friday: “We have had an ongoing relationship with Iran since 1968. Not because we agree with the regime, but because it is in Australia’s national interest.”

The development came as the government continued to organize the evacuation of Australians from Lebanon. On Thursday night, 41 Australians were on flights from Lebanon to Cyprus. Two charter flights for up to 500 Australians will leave Beirut Airport for Cyprus on Saturday evening, Australian time.