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Australia’s PM Urges U.S., Iran to Resume Peace Talks
(MENAFN) Australia has not been asked to join the United States' naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz and has no plans to do so, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday, as he called on both powers to return to the negotiating table.
"We've received no requests, and they've made this announcement overnight…in a unilateral way. We haven't been asked to participate," Albanese told media.
Distancing Canberra further from Washington's unilateral move, Albanese stressed that diplomacy must take precedence. "This is the US making the decision that they have. What we want is for negotiations to continue," he said.
The Prime Minister also issued a pointed appeal over the broader human and economic toll of the conflict. "We want to see an end to the loss of life and the loss of infrastructure in the Middle East. We want to see trade resume. This is having a massive global economic impact, not just on Australia. Every single country is being impacted," he said.
President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday, one day after US-Iran peace talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad collapsed without a deal. Pakistan had brokered a two-week ceasefire between the two sides just days prior.
The ongoing conflict has severely disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical corridor for global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments — triggering a widespread energy shock with far-reaching consequences for markets worldwide.
In a separate announcement, Albanese named Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, the current navy chief, as the new head of the Australian Defense Force.
The Prime Minister also confirmed he will travel to Brunei and Malaysia from April 14–17 for talks on energy and food security, with scheduled meetings alongside Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, according to a statement from his office.
The visits carry particular weight given Australia's dual role as one of the world's leading LNG exporters and its heavy dependence on Asian markets for fuel and the fertilizers essential to its agricultural sector.
"We've received no requests, and they've made this announcement overnight…in a unilateral way. We haven't been asked to participate," Albanese told media.
Distancing Canberra further from Washington's unilateral move, Albanese stressed that diplomacy must take precedence. "This is the US making the decision that they have. What we want is for negotiations to continue," he said.
The Prime Minister also issued a pointed appeal over the broader human and economic toll of the conflict. "We want to see an end to the loss of life and the loss of infrastructure in the Middle East. We want to see trade resume. This is having a massive global economic impact, not just on Australia. Every single country is being impacted," he said.
President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday, one day after US-Iran peace talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad collapsed without a deal. Pakistan had brokered a two-week ceasefire between the two sides just days prior.
The ongoing conflict has severely disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical corridor for global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments — triggering a widespread energy shock with far-reaching consequences for markets worldwide.
In a separate announcement, Albanese named Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, the current navy chief, as the new head of the Australian Defense Force.
The Prime Minister also confirmed he will travel to Brunei and Malaysia from April 14–17 for talks on energy and food security, with scheduled meetings alongside Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, according to a statement from his office.
The visits carry particular weight given Australia's dual role as one of the world's leading LNG exporters and its heavy dependence on Asian markets for fuel and the fertilizers essential to its agricultural sector.
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