Australia likely to follow UK on Iran mission

Australia is poised to announce its potential contribution to safeguarding shipping lanes in the Middle East from Iranian attacks after senior ministers discussed the request following talks with US officials.

As Iran claimed America’s allies were too “ashamed” to join the US-led mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom became the first country to agree to participate.

Australia’s likely involvement would deliver a much-needed boost to the Trump administration’s efforts to build an international coalition, which has met resistance from European allies.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo publicly put the hard word on the Morrison government during a visit to Sydney on Sunday, saying every country that relied on oil and other goods passing through the strait should contribute.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday the government was “carefully considering” the US request but the intention was to “de-escalate tensions”.

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper, who also joined Mr Pompeo in the Sydney talks, is travelling this week to Japan and South Korea for meetings with respective leaders Shinzo Abe and Moon Jae-in where he will lobby them to join the coalition.

Three oil tankers have been hijacked and several others attacked as Tehran lashes out over the White House’s campaign of “maximum pressure” on the regime through economic sanctions, including bans on buying Iranian oil.

Read the article by Andrew Tillett in the Australian Financial Review.