Strait of Hormuz: We’re not sending warships – Australia, Japan reply US President, Trump

Japan and Australia have announced that they will not deploy warships to the strait of Hormuz “at this time” in response to US President Donald Trump’s call for a collaborative effort to safeguard vessels from Iranian attacks.

Since the onset of the conflict, the strait has been nearly shut down, raising concerns regarding energy supplies, as approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through this route.

This weekend, the US president urged various nations, including China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK, to assist in securing the waterway, while also cautioning that NATO could face a “very dire” future if its members do not take action.

Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi informed the parliament that, “given the current situation with Iran, the country is not contemplating a maritime security operation at this time.”

In the UK, government officials are formulating plans to deploy minesweeping drones to the strait, as reported by the Guardian UK amid apprehensions in Whitehall that acquiescing to Trump’s request for ships could exacerbate the crisis.

Australian Transport Minister, Catherine King told ABC that the country will not send ships.

“We recognize the critical importance of this matter, but it is not something we have been requested to do, nor are we contributing to it,” stated the Transport Minister.