Australia and Japan decline US request to send ships for Strait of Hormuz security, opting for alternative support measures.
Australia and Japan have announced that they do not have plans to send ships to the Middle East to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to ABC News, Australia responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's request to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz.
Australian Transport Minister Catherine King stated, 'We will not be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We understand how extremely important this is, but this is not something that has been requested of us, and we are not contributing to this matter.'
King clarified, 'We are very clear about what kind of contributions we will make regarding the requested assistance,' and announced that they would only send aircraft to provide defense support to the United Arab Emirates.
The Japanese government has no plans in this regard.
According to Kyodo News, Japanese Prime Minister Takaiichi Sanae indicated that they are evaluating what measures can be taken to ensure the safety of ships and crews associated with Japan in the Middle East.
In response to a question about whether ships would be sent to the region at the request of the U.S., Takaiichi stated that since no official request has yet been received from the U.S., she could not answer a hypothetical question, but they are working on it.
On the other hand, Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro stated that the government currently has no plans to send Japan's Self-Defense Forces to the Middle East.
President Trump had stated that the security of the Strait of Hormuz should be ensured 'by the countries that supply oil from here.'
Trump commented, 'Countries that supply oil through the Strait of Hormuz must ensure the security of this passage,' adding that the U.S. would also significantly assist these countries.
U.S.-Israel Attacks on Iran
Israel and the U.S. launched a military attack on Iran on February 28 while negotiations were ongoing between Tehran and the Washington administration.
In response, Iran retaliated with attacks on targets it identified in several regional countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, where U.S. bases are located, in addition to Israel.
In the U.S.-Israel attacks, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with numerous high-ranking officials, was killed.
According to Iranian officials, the death toll from the U.S.-Israel attacks has exceeded 1,348, with the number of injured surpassing 17,000.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
