Australia says ‘No’ to warship mission in strategic Strait of Hormuz

2026-03-16 - 05:26

Australia has ruled out sending a warship to the Strait of Hormuz, despite calls from Donald Trump for allied countries and China to deploy naval vessels to help secure the strategic waterway and protect global oil shipments. Catherine King, Australia’s Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, said on Monday that Australia had no plans to participate in such a mission. Speaking to the national broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), King stated: “We will not be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We know how important it is, but it is not something we have been asked to do and it is not something we are contributing to.” Her remarks came after Trump urged partner nations to deploy naval forces to help safeguard shipping routes in the vital maritime corridor linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes.