Australia joins military planning conference after Strait of Hormuz closure
Updated ,first published
Australia is calling on Iran and the United States to intensify negotiating efforts to end the war after the Iranian regime re-closed the Strait of Hormuz and began firing on ships just a day after reopening the critical waterway.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Sunday that it would prevent ships from passing through the strait if the US blockade of Iranian ports continues; Iran says this move violates the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
While the regime declared victory in the war, Iranian state media confirmed reports that two Indian ships trying to pass through the strait over the weekend came under fire and had to turn back; This underlined the unstable situation in a region vital to global oil trade.
The Australian government will open an emergency loan program on Monday to help businesses affected by the fuel crisis, after Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Sunday that the closure of the strait was a “disappointing development” that highlighted the fragile nature of the ceasefire agreement signed this month.
“I think what we need to see now is to pursue every diplomatic avenue to make this temporary ceasefire permanent, to open the Strait of Hormuz openly, to normalize the global fuel supply chain and to put things on the path to peace,” Marles told ABC. insider.
“That’s absolutely what’s in Australia’s interest. That’s what’s in the world’s interest and that’s the direction we need to see things go.”
The current ceasefire is scheduled to end within days, increasing pressure on Iran and the United States to make progress to prevent a return to all-out conflict.
US President Donald Trump said that American negotiators will be in Pakistan on Monday to meet with Iran.
In a post on social media on Sunday, Trump did not detail which officials the US would send to the second round of face-to-face talks with Iran in Islamabad. The White House and the office of Vice President J.D. Vance, who led the first round of talks, did not immediately respond to messages Sunday morning.
In his post, Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement by opening fire on the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure in Iran if it did not accept the deal offered by the USA.
“If they do not do this, the United States will disable every Power Plant and every Bridge in Iran,” Trump wrote.
Marles said he would “not second-guess” the US decision to block ships from leaving Iranian ports, calling it “a reaction to Iran’s fundamental decision to block the Strait of Hormuz.”
“I can understand America’s reaction to this,” he said.
“They are the ones in the middle of the current negotiations, and ultimately we want to see the Strait of Hormuz opened.”
“Obviously we will help,” Marles said as the government prepares for another meeting this week to coordinate global efforts to protect the strait.
Australia will attend a military planning conference in London this week after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called dozens of world leaders on Friday night to begin coordinating efforts to allow safe passage through the strait once the conflict ends.
Marles declined to comment on exactly what kind of assistance Australia would provide.
“There’s a lot of thought going into what kind of operation can be done when conditions allow,” he said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said dozens of countries had agreed to contribute to an “absolutely peaceful and defensive” multinational coalition to protect the strait once the war is over.
Trump once again lashed out at U.S. allies and partners on Sunday, declaring in a social media post that Israel “knows how to win” but that others are “showing their true colors” by not joining the fight in the Middle East.
Trump blasted Australia last Friday for failing to help the US reopen the Strait of Hormuz; whereas Albanese insisted that no official request for assistance had been made.
“I’m not happy with Australia because they weren’t there when we wanted them to be there,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.
Asked whether Australia had turned down any informal US requests for assistance to Australia during the war, Marles said: “I’m not going to get into a lot of the conversations that happened.”
The latest flare-up between the United States and Iran comes as the federal government opened applications Monday for a $1 billion emergency loan program for companies affected by the fuel crisis.
The economic resilience programme, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced in his speech to the National Press Club earlier this month, will provide zero-interest loans to businesses affected by disruptions to fuel supplies, fertilizers and chemicals.
The government will also fast-track applications for a separate $5 billion net zero fund and a $150 million forestry growth fund to encourage low-emission manufacturing.
Industry Minister Tim Ayres said the zero-interest loans would help ease pressure on businesses in sectors such as fuel, plastics, fertilizers and other critical supply chains.
“In an increasingly unstable global environment, strong local supply chains are more important than ever and this funding is about supporting the industries Australia relies on, from agriculture and manufacturing to housing and heavy industry,” he said.
In a previous statement, the Revolutionary Guard navy warned that “no ship will leave its anchorage in the Persian Gulf or the Oman Sea” and declared that “approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy and the attacking ship will be targeted.”
India said it called Iran’s ambassador in New Delhi and flagged its “deep concern” over the attack on two Indian-flagged ships trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.
A distress message was broadcast from one of the tankers, reflecting the confusion that ensued during the firing.
A crew member aboard the crude oil tanker Sanmar Herald can be heard trying to contact the Iranian navy in the 30-second audio clip: “Sepah [IRGC] Navy. Sepah Navy. This is the motor tanker Sanmar Herald. You gave me permission to go. It’s second on your list of steps. Now you are shooting. “Let me go back.”
Iran’s powerful spokesman, Mohammad Bagir Ghalibaf, claimed in a televised speech on Sunday that Iran had “victorious on the field” during the war and agreed to a temporary ceasefire only because it had bowed to US demands for negotiations.
Ghalibaf said Iran had resolved some sticking points with the United States through talks, but “there are still big gaps in others, and we are far from a final agreement.”
He said Iran was ready to restart the war if negotiations failed.
“If they make the slightest mistake, we will respond with force,” he said.
