Australia has not received any requests, formal or informal, from the US to join a naval coalition in the Strait of Hormuz, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says, despite US President Donald Trump’s insistence Australia has denied calls for the same.
This week, Mr Trump lashed out at Australia for the fourth time since the US and Israel attacked Iran. He told reporters he was unhappy with Australia for failing to aid the war effort when asked.
“I’m not happy with Australia because they were not there when we asked them to be there,” Mr Trump told reporters.
“They were not there, having to do with Hormuz. So I’m not happy, I’m not happy with them.”
He earlier claimed the US “had such Military Success, we no longer “need,” or desire” allies’ help and that “WE NEVER DID!” before singling out Australia, South Korea, and Japan, in an outburst posted to Truth Social.
Mr Trump also previously told reporters he was “surprised” by Australia’s reluctance to support US war efforts.
But senior government figures, including Anthony Albanese, have insisted there has been no request of Australia and claimed the government regularly engages with its US counterparts.
It was a sentiment echoed by Mr Conroy, who would not be drawn on Mr Trump’s criticism during an appearance on Sky News Sunday Agenda.
“What I can say to you and your viewers is we’ve had no formal request to provide naval assets to the Strait of Hormuz,” he said on Sunday.
He claimed the “one request from the United States” was to “provide an E7A Wedgetail to support and defend the UAE”.
“That was a request that was echoed by a direct request from the government of the UAE, to provide that Wedgetail to provide defensive support to innocent Gulf States such as the UAE,” Mr Conroy said.
Grilled on whether there had been an informal request from the US, he said: “Not to my knowledge.”
But he backed the US-Australia alliance, saying it was “stronger today than it has been in a long, long time”.
“Our alliance for the United States still is the bedrock of our security,” he said.
This week, the Prime Minister joined the Strait of Hormuz Freedom of Navigation Summit alongside more than 45 countries. It was hosted by the UK and French leaders, and included participation from China but excluded the US.
Australia would participate in the next round of discussions, Mr Conroy confirmed.
“We’ve said we’re prepared to consider requests, but we’re already providing the Wedgetail,” he said.
“We’re already part of the diplomatic efforts, so we’ll just see what comes of the London summit.
“I think a critical part of it is de-escalating the conflict. I haven’t seen anyone suggest that the efforts led by the Europeans would be going in while there was an active conflict.
“So it’s essential that the conflict ends and that we have de escalation, and then we’ve said we’re happy to be prepared to consider being part of a diplomatic solution.”
Overnight, Iran reimposed restrictions on the Strait – which had been open for less than 24 hours – citing “repeated breaches of trust” by the US during the ceasefire and demanded the US lift its blockade of the Iran’s ports and coastline.
Defence Minister Richard Marles later told ABC Insiders it was a “disappointing development”.
“Clearly, this is a situation which is in flux … I think what we need to see now is every diplomatic avenue being pursued to turn this temporary ceasefire into one that is permanent, open the Strait of Hormuz to return the global fuel supply chain to normality, and to put events on a pathway to peace,” he said.
“That’s certainly what’s in Australia’s interest. It’s obviously what’s in the world’s interests, and that’s really the direction that we need to see events take place now.”
But he would not be drawn on Australia’s support for the US blockade, instead describing America’s actions as reactionary.
“Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, and America has reacted. I’m not about to second guess America’s reaction in the context of that,” he said.
Mr Marles later added he could “understand the American reaction” to the Strait’s closure when pressed on Australia’s official position on the US blockade.
He also confirmed the Australian E7A Wedgetail currently operating in the Gulf supplied information to the region that was accessible by US forces, but claimed this would not benefit the American war effort.
“It supplies its information to the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC), which operates out of Qatar. The United States does participate in that, and that’s important in terms of being able to co-ordinate the air defences of the countries of the Gulf and the UAE itself,” he said.
“It would be impossible to provide, or to usefully provide, for the defence of the UAE, without the our E7 Wedgetail working with the CAOC which is in Qatar.”
But it characterising this as assistance to the US blockade of Iran’s coastline was unfair, he said, after being pressed by Insiders host David Speers for a “yes or no” answer.
“It’s definitely not a yes or no in terms of how military capability works. But really, the fundamental answer, David, is that what this capability is optimised to do is not really something that would be useful in terms of the US blockade,” he said.
