LATIKA M BOURKE: Wong joins UK-led talks to secure Strait of Hormuz as Trump tensions with NATO deepen

Australia will join a British-led international coalition meeting for the first time on Thursday to discuss ways to secure the Strait of Hormuz, The Nightly can reveal.

The UK has dusted off its Coalition of the Willing template and will convene a call of foreign ministers, including Australia’s Penny Wong, on Thursday to explore ways to secure the Strait of Hormuz after a ceasefire.

It came as US President Donald Trump gave his strongest attacks on NATO, saying he was considering withdrawing from the security Alliance, something he would need Congressional approval to do formally.

Keir Starmer followed Anthony Albanese in making a prime ministerial address to the nation, warning of the energy price shocks the US and Israeli campaign on Iran has caused.

He said that the UK had united 35 nations around a joint statement expressing “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.”

Australia was late to sign onto the statement, but joined Canada, Korea, New Zealand, Denmark, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Romania, Bahrain, Lithuania, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Portugal, Trinidad & Tobago, Croatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Panama, North Macedonia, Nigeria, Montenegro, Albania, Marshall Islands, Chile and Moldova in support.

The foreign office said the call would involve the countries that had signed onto the statement.

A spokeswoman for the Australian government confirmed to The Nightly that Australia would be included.

“Australia welcomes the UK-led meeting to advance freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, which will be joined by Foreign Minister Penny Wong,” the spokeswoman said.

“We all want to see safe passage of vessels through the Strait, a critical waterway that is being held hostage by the Iranian regime.”

Defence Minister Richard Marles said it was stating the obvious that Australia wanted the Strait reopened.

“We will work with countries like the UK and France to see how we can help in respect of the Strait of Hormuz. Obviously, we want to see the Strait of Hormuz open. I mean, that is to state the obvious,” he said on Nine.

Speaking at Downing Street, Sir Keir said the UK would not be dragged into the US’s war against Iran and wanted a ceasefire.

“We will assess all viable diplomatic and political measures we can take to restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers and to resume the movement of vital commodities,” Sir Keir said.

“Following this meeting, we will also convene our military planners to look at how we can marshal our capabilities and make the Strait accessible and safe after the fighting has stopped.”

But he warned: “I do have to level with people on this, this will not be easy.”

President Trump has repeatedly lashed out at European allies, as well as Australia for not helping the US attack Iran. He told the UK Telegraph that he was seriously considering exiting the US from NATO.

“Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration,” he said.

Speaking at an Easter lunch at the White House before his national address, he mocked allies for being willing to contribute only after a ceasefire.

“No, no, I don’t need after the war is won,” he said.

“Many of them said we’ll be there after the war is completed so I learned about NATO, NATO won’t be there if we ever have the big one.”

Mr Trump’s Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whittaker told US television Newsmax that everything was on the table.

“President Trump is evaluating and re-evaluating everything, whether that is our involvement at NATO, our support to the European efforts in Ukraine, or anything else the United States is doing,” he said.

“Right now, everything is on the table.”

President Trump has repeatedly lashed out at European allies, as well as Australia, for not helping the US attack Iran.

Australia has sent a surveillance plane to the Gulf at the request of the UAE, as well as an unspecified number of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles.

The opposition’s defence spokesman James Paterson said: “Australia’s national interest is clear: we want the Strait of Hormuz open so oil can flow and petrol and diesel prices can come down.”

“The Albanese government must be transparent with the Australian people: have we been asked to contribute to a multinational coalition to reopen the Strait,” he said.

“Do we have any ADF assets capable of being safely deployed to a joint operation if we wish to do so?