Australia Signs Hormuz Coalition Statement After Trump's 'Cowards' Outburst

Australia signed a joint statement with 19 nations on Saturday pledging readiness to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, joining a UK-coordinated coalition that includes France, Germany, Japan, and Canada.

The signature came hours after Donald Trump called NATO allies 'cowards' for declining to send warships to reopen the strait, which has been blockaded by Iranian forces since the US-Israel strikes in late February. The blockade has cut roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supply from reaching global markets.

What the joint statement says

The statement, originally released on 19 March by the UK Prime Minister's office, condemns 'in the strongest terms' Iran's attacks on commercial vessels, civilian infrastructure, and oil installations in the Gulf.

We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.

— Joint Statement, UK Government

The initial signatories were the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan, with Canada joining before the day was out. On Friday, South Korea, New Zealand, Denmark, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Romania, Bahrain, and Lithuania added their names, and Australia confirmed its signature on Saturday morning.

The statement does not commit any country to sending military assets. It calls on Iran to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817 and emphasises that interference with international shipping constitutes a threat to international peace and security.

Trump's contradictory messages

Trump's criticism of Australia sits awkwardly with his own statements from earlier in the week. On Tuesday, he posted on Truth Social that the United States 'no longer need or desire' assistance from NATO countries, Japan, Australia, or South Korea.

By Friday, however, the tone had shifted considerably. 'I was very surprised,' Trump told Sky News Australia. 'They should get involved, and I was a little bit surprised that they said no, because we always say yes to them.'

When asked what specifically Australia had declined, Trump did not answer. The same day, he described NATO members as cowards for not helping open the strait.

Canberra's response

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected the characterisation that Australia had refused to help. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, he listed the assets Australia had already committed to the region.

'The truth is that we have said yes to the request of the UAE for the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft. That's operating there with personnel operating as well. In addition to that, we've sent air-to-air missiles,' Albanese said. 'We continue to provide the support that we have been asked to provide.'

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles was more direct. 'The last thing you'll get from me is a running commentary on what the president has said,' he told reporters in Sydney. He noted that more than 100 Australians are currently serving in the region as part of Gulf state defence operations.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday about Iran's attacks on merchant vessels and the resulting energy shock. 'We agreed that the international community must keep working together to ensure critical waterways are not held hostage by the Iranian regime,' Wong said in a statement.

The regional view

From Tokyo and Seoul, the pressure from Washington looks similar. Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has faced repeated questions about whether Trump privately requested Japanese naval vessels for the strait. South Korea's defence minister told parliament that sending a warship would require parliamentary approval.

Neither country has committed warships, though both have signed the joint statement expressing readiness to contribute.

The calculus differs significantly by nation, shaped by energy dependence and alliance obligations. Japan imports nearly all its oil, with a significant portion transiting Hormuz, while South Korea faces similarly high exposure to Gulf supply disruptions. Australia sources less oil from the Gulf directly, but the global price effect of the blockade has hit domestic fuel markets hard.

For all three countries, the AUKUS security relationship and bilateral defence treaties with the United States create pressure to demonstrate solidarity. But none appears willing to commit warships to what remains an active combat zone between the US-Israel coalition and Iran.

Oil prices and domestic impact

The International Energy Agency released a report on Friday calling the resumption of transit through Hormuz the 'single most important action to return to stable oil and gas flows'. The agency has described the conflict as the 'greatest threat to global energy supply in the history of the world'.

Australian consumers are feeling the effects at the bowser, where a regional New South Wales fuel retailer charged $3.39 per litre for both unleaded petrol and diesel this week, while in Sydney, diesel prices have exceeded $3 per litre at some stations.

The ACCC granted urgent interim authorisation on Friday allowing fuel companies to share information and coordinate supply, though not on pricing. Treasurer Jim Chalmers warned that 'anyone breaking the rules must have the book thrown at them'.

Rideshare companies are responding to the cost surge. Uber announced price increases on Friday, estimating a 6 per cent boost to driver earnings. DoorDash introduced a temporary fuel relief program for drivers completing 100 kilometres or more in deliveries per week. DiDi raised prices earlier in the week, adding 5 cents per kilometre across Australia.

What comes next

The UK has sent military officers to US Central Command headquarters in Tampa to begin planning for a potential Hormuz coalition. Two Royal Navy warships have deployed to the region.

France has adopted a more conditional position, with President Emmanuel Macron saying France would participate in an escort mission for commercial vessels only once the situation is 'calmer' and any mission is 'entirely separate from the ongoing war operations and bombings'.

For Australia, the question is whether signing the joint statement satisfies Washington or invites further pressure, given that the statement expresses readiness without specifying what that readiness means in practice.

Crude oil remains above $100 per barrel, the strait has been closed for more than three weeks, and the IEA is recommending governments reduce road speed limits and encourage working from home to shelter from oil shocks.

Australian defence policy sits somewhere between European caution and American urgency. The joint statement gives Canberra diplomatic cover for now. Whether that cover holds depends on how long the crisis lasts and how much louder Washington gets.