Australia will not send naval ships to help reopen Strait of Hormuz

By Alasdair Pal

SYDNEY, March 16 (Reuters) - Australia will not send naval ships to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a government minister said on Monday.

"We won't be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We know how incredibly important that is, but that's not something that we've been asked or that we're contributing to," Catherine King, a member of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's cabinet, said in an interview with state broadcaster ABC.

• Around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, that has been effectively shut for weeks since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began on February 28.

• The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday the Trump administration plans to announce as early as this week that multiple countries have agreed to form a coalition that will escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

• Australia has already provided aircraft to assist with the defence of the United Arab Emirates after a request from the country.