PM won't rule out Australian involvement in US-Iran conflict

Scott Morrison won’t rule out Australian involvement in a potential military conflict between the United States and Iran.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo boards his plane in New Delhi en route to Osaka yesterday. Picture: AFP

Prime Minister Scott Morrison won’t rule out Australian involvement in a potential military conflict between the United States and Iran, saying he would deal with any request “seriously and on its merits”.

Mr Morrison said Australia’s potential support or involvement wasn’t discussed during his dinner with US President Donald Trump last night.

“It certainly wasn’t sought,” he told the ABC. “We talked about these issues and we have been watching them very closely as well but there are no requests and at this stage I think those issues are a bit premature but we are obviously concerned.”

Mr Morrison said the Australian government would continue to work closely with the US and deal with any request in the “normal way”.

“We would deal with any request from an ally such as the United States seriously and on its merits.”

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said Australia is considering whether to place further economic sanctions on Iran, after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Australia to adopt a tougher stance in a bid to boost global pressure on the rogue regime.

“We continually consider and update sanctions,” Mr Birmingham told the ABC. “We do already have economic sanctions in place in your life in relation to Iran. The situation there is certainly a troubling one.”

“Our belief is that to date, the economic sanctions we put in place are fit for purpose, but we’re looking closely at what additional steps the United States has taken and whether that mandates warranting a change in the economic sanctions that we already had in place.”

US forms anti-Iran alliance

Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike ­Pompeo called on Australia to adopt a tougher stand against Iran and partner with the Trump ­administration to boost global pressure on the rogue regime.

Mr Pompeo said Australia had a key role to play in a new “global coalition” against Iran at a time when that country has shot down a US drone, allegedly attacked tankers, ­exported terror and breached its 2015 nuclear deal. He said the US would also welcome new Australian sanctions on Iran as tensions soar between the US and Tehran, where Australia maintains an ­embassy. “I think Australia is an important player here, I think they carry a lot of weight in the sense that they, like many nations, suffer from the fact the world’s largest state sponsor of terror continues down the path of building its missile program in a way that threatens not only the Middle East but the entire world,” Mr Pompeo told The Australian yesterday as he flew to the G20 summit in Japan.

Mr Pompeo said he would welcome Australia “speaking out clearly about the Islamic Republic of Iran, its history of 40 years of terror around the world (and) ­acknowledge it is Iran that is now attacking commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz”.

He said free and open navigation through the region was ­important for countries such as Australia, and that Canberra would be “of great assistance” to US efforts to “build a coalition that will keep those waterways open”.

He also said the US would welcome any decision by Australia to impose more autonomous sanctions on Iran. “Australia is an ­important economic player so the imposition of more autonomous sanctions would be welcomed as well,” Mr Pompeo said.

Australia already imposes a ­series of autonomous sanctions against Iran, which include limits on ­exports of goods and services and of commercial activities and financial transactions.

Mr Pompeo travelled through the Middle East last week to build international support for the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure Iran to abandon its ­nuclear program and cease sponsoring terrorism in the region.

His call to Australia to join the campaign comes after a series of incidents that have dramatically heightened tensions between the US and Iran, leading some to fear they could spill into conflict.

US President Donald Trump this week ordered new sanctions on Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials in response to Iran shooting down an US surveillance drone.

Mr Pompeo said he would welcome “Australia’s voice in calling out the Iranians for precisely what they are — a regime that behaves in rogue ways inconsistent with fundamental democratic values and one that continues to do that not only in their own country but around the world”. “We think the Iranian people don’t support what their leadership is doing and if Australia lent its voice to that cause it would increase the likelihood that we’d be successful,” he said.

Mr Pompeo said the issue of crude oil prices was relevant to Australia’s economic growth as much as other countries and Iran should not be allowed to disrupt oil supplies and force prices up.

“Crude oil at a reasonable price is also important to economic growth; of course that would apply to Australia too. We all need reasonable crude oil prices so we can continue global expansion,” he said. “We hope every country, European countries, Australia, every nation that cherishes peace and stability and shares that fundamental understanding, will join us in pushing back against the ­Islamic Republic of Iran and its malign activity.”

The US also blames Iran for ­attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman this month.

Cameron Stewart is also US contributor for Sky News Australia