Canberra: Australia will not send naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz, Transport Minister Catherine King announced Monday.

According to Anadolu Agency, King clarified that Australia has no plans to contribute naval support in the region, despite recent tensions.

The minister responded to inquiries from ABC about whether the United States had requested Australian naval assistance, stating she was unaware of any such request. "It's something we're not contributing to. I'm not aware of whether there's an ask," she said. King emphasized Australia's preparedness to manage the economic implications stemming from the Middle East crisis but confirmed that deploying a ship was not part of the country's plans.

Her comments followed US President Donald Trump's appeal to allies for assistance in securing the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global shipping channel. The strait's significance is underscored by its role in the transport of a substantial portion of the world's oil, making it vital to international energy markets.

The Strait of Hormuz has drawn significant attention after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced restrictions on vessel passage in response to ongoing US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which began on February 28. Before the conflict, approximately 20 million barrels of oil traversed the strait each day. The disruption has contributed to rising oil prices.

The US-Israeli offensive in Iran has resulted in approximately 1,300 casualties, including the death of then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Iran has launched drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf nations hosting US military forces.