Australian warships can “absolutely” fight Iranian drones if Australia is called on to join the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Chief of Navy Mark Hammond says.
US President Donald Trump announced the blockade overnight, posting on social media that “the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.
“Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” he wrote.
“At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, ‘There may be a mine out there somewhere,’ that nobody knows about but them.
“THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted.”
The US military has since confirmed the blockade would begin at midnight (AEST) and that it would not stop ships going “to and from non-Iranian ports”.
Anthony Albanese has been quick to dismiss the idea of further deployments to the Middle East to support the imminent blockade, insisting Australia has not yet been asked.
Fronting a press conference alongside the Prime Minister on Monday, Vice-Admiral Hammond, who will become chief of the Defence Force in July, said the Navy “is as ready as it ever has been” if it needed to deploy.
“We’ve got 10 surface combatants right now. Eight of them are at sea today,” he told reporters.
“And they are fitted with one of the most advanced radars in the world … and some of the most advanced missile and point defence systems in the world.
“Are they capable of performing the mission?
“As (Chief of the Defence Force) Admiral Johnston said last week – absolutely.”
He added that any “contribution is one for consideration by the Australian government should they receive a request” and that “there’s been no such request as yet”.
While Mr Albanese has stressed no request has come through from the White House, Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite earlier all-but ruled out any involvement, saying “we’re not considering joining the blockade”.
“We believe that the best way to get lasting peace and to ensure ultimately that petrol prices come down for Australians is a negotiated settlement,” he told Sky News, adding that it was “disappointing” US-Iran peace talks at the weekend “didn’t get an outcome”.
“That’s the best way that you’re going to see the Strait open permanently and the international economy restored and petrol to flow and those prices to come down for Australians.”
‘Bad thing for the world’
Environment Minister Murray Watt – one of Mr Albanese’s most trusted political operators – also took a dim view of the US move, saying it “risks escalating” the Iran conflict.
“Really, what our position is is that: we want to see this ceasefire continue, we want to see negotiations resume, and we want to see shipping reopened for the Strait of Hormuz,” he told ABC’s Radio National.
“If there’s any further escalation of this conflict, whether it be economic or militarily, that is going to impose further costs on the world, and of course, greater cost of human life, which is not something we want to see.
“So the earlier these negotiations can resume, the better. And of course, we want to see the ceasefire hold in the meantime.”
Asked point-blank if the blockade could worsen the situation, Senator Watt said that “any action that anyone takes that risks escalating this conflict is a bad thing for the world”.
“As I say, we’ve already seen thousands of lives lost throughout this conflict, not to mention, of course, the very real pain that it’s imposing on Australian consumers and right around the world,” he said.
“So that’s why I say that the sooner that negotiations can resume, the better. And in the meantime, we want to see that ceasefire hold.”
Under international law, a blockade is considered an act of war.
In confirming the action, US Central Command said only Iranian ports would be targeted.
“The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” it said.
“CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”
The announcement came after top US and Iranian officials failed to make a deal during marathon peace talks at the weekend.
US Vice President JD Vance on Sunday emerged from 21-hours of negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, saying the American delegation put forward their “final and best offer” but that “we have not reached an agreement”.
“And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” he told reporters.
“So we go back to the United States having not come to an agreement. We’ve made very clear what our red lines are.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong responded to the news by urging both sides to uphold a tenuous two-week ceasefire and “return to negotiations”.
“It is disappointing that the Islamabad talks between the United States and Iran have ended without agreement,” she said in a statement.
“The priority now must be to continue the ceasefire and return to negotiations. We continue to want to see a swift resolution to this conflict.
“Any escalation in the conflict would impose an even greater human cost and further impact the global economy.”
Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire and mediated the talks, made a similar appeal to the warring countries.
