Defence Minister Richard Marles has confirmed that Australia will participate in a virtual meeting of 35 nations to discuss military measures to secure the safe passage of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and could contribute assets to the plan.
Iran has all but closed the vital passage, which accounts for around 25 per cent of the world’s seaborne oil trade. Australia is hugely reliant on Asian countries that provide petrol to Australia.
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Asked on Thursday if Australia will participate in the UK summit on the Strait of Hormuz, Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed Australia was a participant.
“We will be participating in that. It’ll be a virtual meeting, as I understand the next 24 hours and the Foreign Minister will be representing Australia at that meeting,’’ he told ABC radio.
“Obviously all of those countries and very much Australia have an interest in seeing the Straits of Hormuz open as soon as possible
“We will look to what Australia can do.”
Mr Marles stressed this depended on when conditions allow, and said that was not the circumstance right now.
“I’m reluctant to speculate in detail about all of that, other than to say our E-7 Wedgetail is in the region right now and it’s providing, or doing important work in terms of contributing to the defence of the countries of the Gulf, in particular the UAE.”
“We’ve got an asset there right now. We will work through with our friends and allies how we can usefully contribute.”
Australia has a fleet of six Wedgetails. The aircraft was previously deployed to Poland to help Ukraine counter drone and ballistic missile strikes coming from Russia.
“Obviously, we have an interest in the straits being open. that’s why we are that’s why we signed on to the statement more than a week ago, and that’s why we’ll be participating in this meeting,’’ Mr Marles said.
Asked if Australia was “keeping an open mind and not ruling out further assets going,” Mr Marles did not rule it out.
“We will work constructively with our friends and partners with this meeting that’s coming up. We will look at how we can constructively contribute,’’ he said.
“That what we’ve done up until now, which is why we do have a significant asset in the region, providing for the defence of the countries of The Gulf, in particular the UAE more broadly.”
Overnight, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain will co-ordinate diplomatic talks as Iran holds the world to ransom.
While Mr Starmer insisted Britain did not want to be “dragged” into the military conflict and suggested “this is not our war” he said the most effective he could support the cost of living in Britain was to push for de-escalation in the Middle East and a re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
“And the UK has now brought together 35 nations around our statement of intent to push, as one, for maritime security across The Gulf,’’ the British PM said.
“And today I can announce that later this week the Foreign Secretary will host a meeting that brings those nations together for the first time where we will assess all viable diplomatic and political measures we can take…
“To restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers and to resume the movement of vital commodities.
“Following this meeting, we will also convene our military planners to look at how we can marshal our capabilities. And make the Strait accessible and safe after the fighting has stopped.”
The diplomatic talks follow threats from Iran overnight and the US President’s claim a ceasefire was on offer, a claim that has now been denied.
“The Strait of Hormuz will certainly reopen, but not for you; it will be open for those who comply with the new laws of Iran,’’ Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission boasted to the US President on X overnight.
The US President also claimed there was a ceasefire option on the table, a claim that Iran has denied.
“Iran’s New Regime President, much less radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!,’’ President Trump claimed overnight.
“We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!! President DJT.”
