Australia joins other nations shutting Tehran embassies

Australia has shuttered its Tehran embassy and ordered officials to leave Iran, the government said Friday, citing a "deteriorating security situation".It joins a string of countries closing diplomatic missions in Iran since Israel launched air strikes a week ago, claiming its arch enemy was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon.Australia has directed all its officials and their dependents to leave Iran, and suspended its Tehran embassy operations, Foreign Minister Penny Wong told a news conference in Adelaide."This is not a decision taken lightly. It is a decision based on the deteriorating security environment in Iran," she said.The government advised all Australians to leave Iran if they can do safely.Wong said there were about 2,000 Australians and family members registered in Iran who wanted to depart, and another 1,200 in Israel.Other nations that have suspended Tehran embassy operations include Bulgaria, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Portugal, and Switzerland.