Australia will not send naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz

Australia will not send naval vessels to protect oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a senior government minister announced on Monday, 16 March.

Australia is prepared to face an “economic crisis” triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and will not deploy warships to the region, said Australian Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Local Government Minister Catherine King, a member of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s cabinet, according to a report from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio.

King stated that Australia’s fuel reserves as of Monday stood at 37 days’ worth of petrol, 30 days of diesel, and 29 days of jet fuel, following the government’s reduction in minimum fuel stock holding requirements and the temporary adjustment of fuel quality standards to permit higher sulphur content.

“We are very well prepared in this country to face the economic crisis that has occurred as a result of the situation in the Middle East,” King said.

The federal government also issued a warning to its citizens on Saturday, 14 March, advising them to avoid transiting through Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Previously, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) had issued travel warnings for all these countries through its Smartraveller service.

However, on Saturday, DFAT expanded the advisory to include recommendations that Australian citizens avoid transiting through these countries even if they do not plan to leave the airport.

According to the advisory, the conflict is likely to escalate further and flights may be altered or suspended without notice.