Donald Trump has called America's NATO allies "cowards" for not involving themselves in the war in Iran as PM Anthony Albanese maintained the US President has not asked Australia to do anything else.

The president lashed out in an angry post on his Truth Social account.

"Without the USA, NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!" he wrote.

READ MORE: Trump berates allies as he finds himself alone on Iran war

"They didn't want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran. Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don't want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. 

"So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!"

NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, is an alliance involving the US, Canada, and most countries in Europe.

Trump's outburst marks another turnaround for the president, who said on Wednesday that the US didn't need the help of other countries.

"Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries' assistance," he said on his social media site.

"WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea."

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Albanese said Trump hasn't asked for anything else.

"The truth is that we have said yes to the request of the UAE for the E7 wedgetail aircraft that's operating there with personnel," he told a press conference on Saturday.

"In addition to that we've sent AMRAAM that's making a difference as well to intercept missiles or drones aimed at the UAE.

"So we continue to provide the support we've been asked to support.

"We have done what we have been asked to do.

"We've signed up to the statement that's been issued, that's been coordinated by the United Kingdom, that speaks about the work that we're doing to ensure the Straits of Hormuz remain open. That's critical."

He said he spoke to Trump a week ago and said they continue to "engage constructively".

READ MORE: The comments from Trump's right-hand man that should annoy every Aussie

On Tuesday Trump said unnamed countries were "coming already" to support the US in the Middle East.

The US is now deploying more warships and another 2500 Marines in the region.

The president also brushed off the importance of the Strait of Hormuz.

"We don't use the strait, the United States, we don't need it," Trump said.

"At a certain point, it'll open itself."

While the US sources most of its oil domestically, 20 per cent of the world's oil is shipped through the strait.

That includes a substantial amount of oil used in Australia.

Overnight Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement praising the Iranian people's steadfastness.

"The enemy has been defeated," Khamenei said.

"(Iranians have) dealt him a dizzying blow so that he now starts uttering contradictory words and nonsense."

Meanwhile, US Central Command has confirmed that 232 American service members have been injured since the war began three weeks ago.

Of those, ten are seriously wounded, and 207 have been able to return to duty.

READ MORE: Trump compares Iran attack to Pearl Harbor in front of Japan's PM

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The war in the Middle East has caused significant disruption to air travel around the world, including Australia.

With hubs such as Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai being used by countless Aussie travellers to get to Europe, thousands were left stranded when conflict began earlier this month.

Despite the threat of drone strikes and missiles in the area, thousands of Australians have been safely evacuated on repatriation flights offered by multiple airlines, but how are they able to do it, and what alternative flight routes should Aussies use if they want to get to Europe or other parts of the world?

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Has Middle East airspace opened?

This question is hard to answer because it changes frequently.

For example, on Tuesday morning AEDT, the UAE announced it had closed all of its airspace as "an exceptional precautionary measure."

They announced they had lifted the closure just a couple of hours later, meaning major airlines Emirates and Etihad were able to resume operations.

READ MORE: 'Fuel added to the fire': Aussies braced for cost-of-living triple whammy

Much of Middle Eastern airspace remains closed, including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria and Bahrain; Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman still have their airspaces open, but with restrictions in place that limit where exactly planes can fly over.

As it stands, most flights that traditionally fly through the Middle East are having to either fly over Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Armenia through to Turkey, passing over the Middle East region.

However, Afghanistan's current conflict with Pakistan could also dissuade airlines from using this route.

Does Qantas fly to the Middle East?

Australia's national airline Qantas does not currently fly to the Middle East.

For a time during the 2010s it used Dubai International Airport as a hub to connect itself to European destinations such as London, but this changed in 2017 when it shifted its focus to Singapore.

The Middle East conflict has forced it to change the way it flies, however, with its usual non-stop flight from Perth to London Heathrow Airport having to go via Singapore.

This is because a fuel stop is now required due to "adjustments required on flight paths", the company said on its website last week.

What airlines fly to the Middle East?

Several airlines fly to the Middle East, departing from multiple airports within Australia.

Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth have daily flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi with Emirates and Qatar Airways respectively, with the latter also flying out of Adelaide.

Qatar Airways also flies to Canberra, but the flights travel via Melbourne.

Etihad Airways also has daily flights departing from Sydney and Melbourne to their main hub of Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

READ MORE: Government's grim admission about petrol as war drags on

What are the alternative flight routes avoiding the Middle East?

Travellers who would normally travel through the Middle East to reach destinations in Europe or Africa can still do so via several hubs in Asia.

Singapore, with connections to many major cities around the world and relatively close to Australia, could be considered the best option for Australia travellers, as it flies out of multiple Australian cities.

Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Tokyo also serve as hubs that connect to several major destinations in different continents that Aussies would normally use the Middle East as their connection point.

However, the cost of flights in these regions are now beginning to soar due to increased demand.

LIVE UPDATES: Authorities scramble after drone strike on hotel

Is travel time longer for flights that avoid the Middle East?

Flights that connect to Europe through Singapore and other Asian destinations are actually a little bit shorter in time than those which would go through the Middle East.

If Aussies are travelling to Europe via the Middle East, like through Dubai or Doha, it can take around 24-26 hours due to having to be re-routed around restricted airspace, and due to congestion problems that can occur at the busy airports.

Flying through Asia, for example thorough Singapore or even Hong Kong and Tokyo, can take between 22 and 24 hours depending on the specific flight.

This is because flights through Asia, particularly in the northern regions, avoid the restricted airspace in and around the Middle East, allowing them to fly a more direct route to Europe.

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ANALYSIS: If the opinion polls are to be believed, today's South Australian election will be a lay-down misère for Peter Malinauskas and the Labor Party. But is it that simple?

Labor claim to have had a successful four years. Malinauskas has put the state on the map with international events now calling South Australia home. LIV Golf, Moto GP, the Supercars grand final and Gather Round all now Adelaide-owned events. 

The government successfully intervened to save the struggling Whyalla Steelworks and the Port Pirie lead smelter. Labor saved disability employer Bedford as it faced financial oblivion and has increased its majority in the lower house by winning two by-elections.

READ MORE: SA One Nation candidate dumped as alleged sexual assault charges revealed

However, they've been plagued by their 2022 election commitment, to fix the ramping crisis. Malinauskas himself has said he would have liked to have achieved "a far better result" even after promoting the message, to vote like your life depends on it. 

Ramping hours have more than doubled since they took the reins of the health system, even after more than $1 billion of spending.

The government has also faced criticism over the wasting of more than $300 million on a hydrogen power plant which was scrapped during their term of government.

But a generous characterisation of their opponents would be substandard. 

The South Australian Liberals have had four leaders in four years. Two stepped away from politics and one is now a convicted drug supplier. That man, David Speirs was revealed exclusively by 9News to be recontesting this election as an independent.

In 2023, the Liberals lost Mackillop MP Nick McBride to the cross bench, he is now recontesting the election with an ankle bracelet, facing domestic violence charges.

Another Liberal-turned-independent Troy Bell was sent to jail just last year, and former party member and now crossbench member Fraser Ellis is appealing a guilty finding of deception.

The Liberals have been unable to escape accusations of ill-discipline and with three former members going through the court system over the last term, they've been incapable of justifying a "tough on crime" stance.

Their third leader Vincent Tarzia stepped down following unpopular polling, leaving first term MP Ashton Hurn just over 100 days to lead the party to Saturday's election.

Cue the rise of One Nation. Polling now shows that Pauline Hanson's party is the second most popular in South Australia. Their profile aided by the announcement of a star candidate, former Liberal senator and television host Cory Bernardi.

The rise of One Nation threatens to split the conservative vote, forcing the Liberals into a fight for their political survival. But there are also signs the party is making inroads into Labor's traditional base, particularly among blue-collar voters in Adelaide's northern suburbs.

Whether that support translates into votes remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: while the result may look predictable on paper, the dynamics shaping this election are anything but simple, and given the potential impact of One Nation's rise on upcoming elections across the country, it's certain Australia will be watching.

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