00:01It's made clear that no commitments have been made just yet, but that Australia is in conversations
00:07with the United States about what sort of support it might be able to provide here.
00:12There aren't a lot of details known about the requests that the United States is making
00:18to Australia and a number of other similar, like-minded countries, but it seems, according
00:24to a cable from US diplomats cited by Reuters, that they're asking to put together essentially
00:30a coalition of countries to try and help secure the Strait of Hormuz, importantly, it says,
00:36in a post-conflict scenario.
00:38So once the conflict situation in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz more broadly has started
00:45to ease, that a number of countries might move in and just secure that vital shipping channel
00:50that really you see 20% of the world's oil moving through ordinarily on any given day
00:56and has been brought essentially to a standstill by Iran's threats to shipping traffic moving
01:01through that area.
01:02Of course, the United States is currently engaged in its own blockade of Iran in that region
01:07too.
01:08What's interesting about this, I suppose, is that it also appears to be running in parallel,
01:14but almost reflect an almost identical process that's going on being led by the United Kingdom
01:19and France, but not including the United States.
01:22Those countries have been leading talks among dozens of nations, including Australia, about
01:27running similar operations to try and secure the Strait in that sort of post-conflict scenario.
01:33Anthony Albanese was asked today about these requests from the United States.
01:38He says the talks are underway with the US about what sort of support Australia might provide.
01:43Importantly, the US isn't asking necessarily for military assistance.
01:47It does suggest that simple diplomatic assistance or information sharing could also be a contribution
01:54that countries could make.
01:55The Prime Minister was asked about the idea, however, of military assistance.
01:59Here's what he had to say earlier.
02:00We'll have those discussions privately.
02:05We'll engage in anything that can assist.
02:10We're engaged with the United States, but we're also participating in meetings that have been
02:17convened in London as well.
02:20We want to see the Strait of Hormuz opened.
02:23We want to see international trade resume.
02:26Because this is having a devastating impact on the global economy.
02:31It's impacting inflation here as it is, right around the world.
02:36There hasn't been that determination.
02:39Look, we'll discuss those things respectfully.
02:42And what we want to see, though, is for a de-escalation, we want to see peace.
02:51And Tom, what's the latest on Australia's international efforts to shore up fuel supply?
02:56Joe, the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, has this week wrapped up a bit of a swing through
03:01North Asia talking fuel exports to Australia.
03:05She's visited Japan, China and South Korea as well.
03:09All three are fuel exporters to Australia.
03:12Importantly, all three are also gas importers from Australia, major export destinations for
03:18Australian gas as well.
03:20The outcome has broadly been to try and secure commitments that contracts will continue to
03:26be met.
03:26And in instances where they can't be met, that Australia will be given a very significant
03:31heads up ahead of time, that those kind of supply disruptions are coming.
03:36In China's case as well, it's also seeking to remove some export controls that have been
03:41placed in that country on the export of aviation fuel in particular.
03:46So really just trying to add some certainty to the situation surrounding fuel imports to
03:53Australia, given there's still so much uncertainty around when tensions in the Strait of Hormuz
03:58might start to ease.
Comments