Listen to the latest updates from ABC News

Listen to the latest updates from ABC News

Listen to the latest updates from ABC News

Listen to the latest updates from ABC News

The Israeli military says its soldiers are operating in southern Lebanon as it continues strikes against Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended the military action against Iran, saying Tehran had been building new nuclear weapons sites that would have been impossible to attack within months.

The Israeli leader claims Iranian soldiers and technicians started building the sites where they could develop ballistic missiles and atomic bombs.

He says "if no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future."

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump says he took the decision to strike Iran because it's the "last, best chance" to stop its regime.

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is facing an "unprecedented" situation as the conflict in the Middle East continues.

An estimated 115,000 Australians remain in the region, with many stranded due to ongoing airspace closures.

Senator Wong says the number of affected Australians dwarfs any consular operation DFAT has ever conducted.

A critical incident investigation is underway after a man was shot dead by police in Sydney's Potts Point.

Officers were called to a unit at 11 o'clock to reports a man had entered the complex and assaulted two women.

A 48-year-old and a 56-year-old have been taken to hospital with head and facial injuries and remain in a stable condition.

Nw South Wales Police says the incident has traumatised the  officers who were on scene.  

US President Donald Trump has told media outlets they'll soon find out what the retaliation ​will be for an Iranian attack on the American ‌embassy in ⁠Riyadh as the conflict continues to widen.

Saudi Arabia has announced the US facility was hit by drones, sparking a fire and causing some damage.

The embassy has issued a "shelter in ‌place" ​notice for US citizens and told them to avoid the compound.

Meanwhile the Israeli army says it's carrying out strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

The federal government has confirmed an airbase used by Australian personnel has been hit by an Iranian drone strike.

The government says the base just outside Dubai was struck on the first night of the conflict.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says all personnel are safe and accounted for.

About 100 serving Australian Defence Force personnel are stationed across countries in the Middle East.  

A man who allegedly assaulted two women with a knife has been shot dead by police in Sydney.

Police responded to the incident at a Potts Point apartment complex with the two women since hospitalised for head and facial injuries.

Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna says the women -- aged 48 and 56 - lived in two different units at the complex.

The man is yet to be identified and a critical incident has been declared.

Washington's top diplomat says they attacked Iran pre-emptively, knowing Israel would strike.

Marco Rubio's comments contrast with those of Donald Trump's on the weekend, where the US president said Iran rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and the US couldn't take it any more.

But Mr Rubio suggests, it was not America's initiative, and that Washington knew an Israeli action would precipitate an attack against American forces.

Israel has meanwhile attacked the headquarters of Iran's state broadcaster in Tehran.

The Reserve Bank is watching the impact the conflict in the Middle East is having on inflation in Australia.

Iran's military warns it'll set fire to any ships that attempt to pass through the strait of Hormuz, threatening to choke a fifth of global oil flows and push petrol prices up.

New surcharges are also being added to costs for goods travelling through the Middle East, as the conflict expands.

RBA governor Michelle Bullock says it's too early to tell how inflation will be affected while the tensions remain.

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency says an improvement in Australia's gender pay gap is reassuring, but still not enough.

The annual salary data shows a gap of 11.2 per cent between men and women in the same workplaces, down 0.9 per cent from last year.

But it also shows that employers with the largest gender pay gaps are often in large industries dominated by men.

The gender pay cap has narrowed, according to new research, but more than half of Australian employers still pay men significantly more than women.

The federal government has confirmed an airbase used by Australian personnel has been hit by an Iranian drone strike.

The government says the Al-Minhad base just outside Dubai was struck on the first night of the conflict.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says all personnel are safe.

Meanwhile Mr Marles says the government's working on contingency plans to assist Australians stranded in the Middle East, with air space closures forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights.

Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock says it's too early to know what impact the Middle East war will have on Australia's economy.

It comes amid warnings from economists Australian petrol prices could rise by up to forty cents a litre in coming weeks as energy costs soar.

Fuel prices have already begun to spike on international markets and Tehran has targeted Saudi and Qatari energy facilities.

Ms Bullock concedes the war could add to inflationary pressures already present in the economy.

Former AFL coach Kevin Sheedy is backing league CEO Andrew Dillon's suggestion of featuring the sport at the Brisbane Olympics.

Dillon has revealed he's been speaking to games organisers about ways to showcase Australian Rules Football in 2032.

He pointed to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics as precedent, when Aussie Rules was an exhibition sport.