Australia will join the United States led military effort to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz
Australia will send a navy frigate, a surveillance plane and 187 military personnel to the Middle East to protect oil tankers from attack.
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Australia will send a navy frigate, a surveillance plane and 187 military personnel to the Middle East to protect oil tankers from attack.
The “modest” and “time-limited” military involvement in the contentious Strait of Hormuz was “in Australia’s national interest”, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
But critics claimed that joining the US-led efforts to protect the vital shipping route was opening Australia up to a potential war with Iran.
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Mr Morrison said Australia had agreed to a US request for military support in the face of Iran’s “destabilising behaviour” in the region, warning nation’s economy could be threatened if oil stocks were put at risk.
A Royal Australian Navy frigate will deploy for six months from January, while a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon will patrol and provide surveillance for one month before the end of this year.
A team of Australian Defence Force planning and operation staff will also be sent to the International Maritime Security Construct headquarters in Bahrain.
They will join in the multinational efforts to protect shipping routes in the Strait, which is the only sea route out of the Persian Gulf.
Mr Morrison described Australia’s military might as a “modest, meaningful and time-limited contribution that we are seeking to make to this international effort to ensure we maintain free flow of commerce and freedom of navigation, which is essential to our security and our economy”.
“Australia will defend our interests wherever they may be under threat, we will always work closely with our international allies,” he said.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said Australia had an “enduring interest” in the safe passage of maritime trade through international waters.
“Our defence force will play a crucial role to ensure all these rights are protected,” she said. “Australia’s core interest in this mission is de-escalation.”
Labor supported the deployment. “We believe that the precise contribution …is appropriately calibrated to what Australia can reasonably provide,” defence spokesman Richard Marles said.
But several crossbenchers criticised the move. Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick called for a “much fuller account” of the commitment to the US. “Support for freedom of navigation is important, especially in such a strategic waterway … but this decision amounts to a blank cheque for Australian entanglement in any war with Iran,” he said.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale said Mr Morrison had sent Australia “down the path to armed conflict with Iran”.
“This inflammatory and counter-productive move has echoes of our support for the US invasion of Iraq,” he said.
Originally published as Australia will join the United States led military effort to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz
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