Catherine King, Matt Thistlethwaite: Australia rejects naval role in Strait of Hormuz amid Iran tanker threats

Australia has ruled out sending ships to the Middle East to help protect vessels from Iranian attacks while travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.

It comes after US President Donald Trump called on several other countries to send ships to help open the critical waterway to ease the global oil supply disruptions brought on by his war in Iran.

Australia wasn’t listed in Mr Trump’s call to arms on social media, but countries reportedly considering helping include the UK, Japan, China and South Korea. Though, none have publicly announced they would deploy assets.

Labor’s Transport Minister Catherine King and Foreign Affairs and Trade Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite both shut down any suggestion Australia would be joining the assisting Coalition of nations during media appearances on Monday.

“We’ve been very clear about what our contribution is in relation to our requests, and so far that is to the UAE, obviously providing aircraft to assist with defence, particularly given the number of Australians that are in that area in particular,” Ms King told Radio National.

“But we won’t be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We know how incredibly important that is. That’s not something that we’ve been asked, or we’re contributing.”

Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson has doubted Australia has adequate navy vessels to answer any potential US calls to help in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US President Donald Trump has called on several other countries to send ships to protect vessels from Iranian attacks and help open the critical waterway to ease the global oil supply disruptions.

Senator Paterson told Nine’s Today show on Monday that recent history showed that Australia hadn’t been able to support similar threats to global shipping due to limits within its national fleet.

He referenced the 2023 Red Sea crisis, when commercial shipping vessels had suffered attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Australia had declined a formal request from the then-Biden administration to send ships as part of a US-led multinational coalition called Operation Prosperity Guardian.

“As I understand it, there’s been no request from the United States, and we’re not anticipating one,” Senator Paterson said.

“If one came, we’d have to very carefully consider it against our national interest and particularly whether we have the relevant naval vessels available that could safely do that mission.

“You would need to have a naval vessel that’s capable of protecting itself against drone and missile attacks.

“And in 2023, when a similar request from the United States came to help in the Red Sea against the Houthis terrorist organisation, we weren’t able to provide any naval vessels because we didn’t have ones that could protect themselves that were available for that mission.”

Fellow frontbencher Madelaide King also avoided committing to a naval role when asked on Sky on Monday, instead redirecting to mention the government’s existing support for the UAE.

In response to the UAE’s requests, Australia has sent a surveillance plane, known as an E-7A Wedgetail aircraft, to the region as well as an undisclosed quantity of advanced medium range missiles, known as AMRAAMs.

Defence Minister Richard Marles has confirmed that Australia has previously received requests from the Trump administration to help protect Gulf nations but hasn’t confirmed that it explicitly asked.

Mr Thistlethwaite told Sky on Monday that Australia hadn’t received any formal requests for naval support in the Strait of Hormuz.