Australia could ‘absolutely deploy’ warship to help reopen Strait of Hormuz – Sky News Australia

The chief of the Australian Defence Force declared the nation could “absolutely deploy” a warship to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the closure of which has caused the worst disruption to global energy supplies in history.
The chief of the Australian Defence Force said the nation could “absolutely deploy” a ship to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Admiral David Johnston’s remarks came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday welcomed a ceasefire in the Middle East struck between the US, Israel, and Iran.
But there was no sign Iran had lifted its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the worst disruption to global energy supplies in history, and Tehran said there would be no deal as long as Israel was striking Lebanon.
Mr Albanese is embarking on a whirlwind trip to Singapore as part of ramped-up diplomatic efforts to secure Australia’s fuel supply.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnston told reporters in Canberra he questioned whether it was in Australia’s interests to deploy a ship to the Strait.
“I have no hesitation in our ability to work in a Strait of Hormuz type role … But perhaps what is an at least as important question is: ‘Where do our priorities lie?’” Johnston said on Thursday.
“In the context of today, you would be aware that the United States has moved enormous military capacity into the Gulf region at the moment, including a lot of capacity out of the Indo-Pacific.
“This is an important time for us to be present in the Indo-Pacific to maintain that regional environment.”
Mr Albanese said in an interview with Sky News that the ceasefire was welcome, but that Trump’s rhetoric was worrying.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to use language such as that from the President of the United States, and I think it will cause some concern,” he said.
While supporting US attacks on Iran in the early days of the war, Mr Albanese has expressed unease about the conflict in recent weeks.
Last week, the Prime Minister said he wanted more certainty from Trump on the objectives of the war, while calling for a de-escalation by all parties involved.
Trump this week criticised Australia for a lack of support.
“Australia didn’t help us,” he told reporters, singling out the country along with Japan and South Korea.
Australians have been warned that oil prices and availability could take upwards of “a few years” to recover to their pre-conflict level despite a ceasefire getting underway.
MST Financial energy analyst Saul Kavonic said the extensive damage to oil and energy assets in the Middle East and Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz meant the fuel crisis would rattle beyond the conflict.
“There’s been some significant damage done to oil export infrastructure, including the Pearl GTL plant and about a third of the Gulf Nations’ refineries,” Mr Kavonic told Business Now on Wednesday.
“Which means that two to three million barrels a day of capacity … will not come back online until repairs are done, which could take months, if not a few years.”
To join the conversation, please log in. Don’t have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout
Our Apps

source