US ‘hopes’ Australia helps to confront Iran over attacks on shipping routes
Speaking after ministerial meetings in Sydney on Sunday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo highlighted America’s request for Australian support against Iran.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
US officials “hope” Australia will agree to a request to confront Iran for attacks on shipping routes in the Middle East but Defence Minister Lynda Reynolds says “no decision has yet been made”.
Speaking after ministerial meetings in Sydney on Sunday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo highlighted America’s request for Australian support against Iran.
”We hope Australia will partner with us on some of the most pressing foreign policy challenges of our time, like efforts to stabilise Syria and keep Afghanistan free of terror, and confront the Islamic Republic of Iran’s unprovoked attacks on international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Iranian commandos seized a British-flagged tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important waterway for oil shipments, last month.
But Ms Reynolds said while Australia “strongly condemns” the attacks, it was still considering the request from the US to offer security support.
MORE NEWS:
Masked gatecrashers storm 18th birthday party
Meet the pizza delivery man who crippled ICAC
Rebels gang take police to court over anti-bikie laws
“The request that the United States has made is a very serious one and it is complex one, that’s why we are currently giving this request very serious consideration,” she said.
“But we will ultimately, as we always do, decide what is our own sovereign interest and we certainly discussed this issue during our ministerial consultations, but again no decision has been made.”
China was also a hotly discussed topic at the annual Australia-US ministerial meeting, which included Mr Pompeo, Ms Reynolds, Foreign Minister Marise Payne and newly appointed US Defence Secretary Mark Esper.
Mr Pompeo said the United States shared values with Australia including respect for sovereignty, transparency, property rights, the rule of law and human rights, but insisted nations were not being asked to “choose” between America and China.
“That’s not how we operate,” he said.
“Co-operation with us … bring mutual benefits, not zero sum deals where one side wins and the other risks losing.”
Mr Pompeo said the US believed it was however important to “shine sunlight on bad behaviours however and whenever it occurs” and praised Australia for doing so.
“Australia courageously and independently raised the alarm about the risk of China’s 5g’s ambitions even before we caught on,” he said.
“We’re both concerned about China’s militarisation of their man made islands in the South China Sea and we’re both keeping an eye on investment that mires our friends in debt and corruption.”
Ms Payne said the strong Australia-US alliance was based on shared values for the Indo-Pacific region.
“Without strong US engagement, the region that we all want, the region that we indeed need, can’t be achieved, that’s a region in which all states are respected, regardless of size and power,” she said.