Australia will deploy a military surveillance ‌aircraft to the Middle East and send missiles to the United Arab Emirates but will not put troops on the ground in ​Iran, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday.

Australia’s ​military support would help the Gulf countries defend ⁠themselves against attacks from Iran, Albanese said, stressing Australia ​was “not a protagonist”.

“Our involvement is purely defensive,” Albanese told ​reporters.

“And it’s in defence of Australians who are in the region as well as in defence of our friends in the United ​Arab Emirates.”

Albanese said Australia would deploy one of its ​Boeing-manufactured E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control system aircraft for ‌an ⁠initial four weeks to protect the airspace above the Gulf countries.

Advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles would be provided to the United Arab Emirates, following a phone call with President ​Mohammed bin ​Zayed Al Nahyan, ⁠he added.

The war has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for a ​fifth of global oil and liquefied natural ​gas, ⁠as the conflict escalated.

Around 115,000 Australians were in the Middle East when the conflict began 11 days ago, and ⁠2,600 Australians ​have now returned home by ​commercial flights as several Gulf cities came under Iranian bombardment.