A fifth of the world’s oil supplies travels through the strait.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers.Alex Ellinghausen
Treasurer Jim Chalmers deflected Trump’s criticism, saying the government had not considered sending any vessels to protect oil tankers in the strait.
“It’s not something that we’ve been considering, in terms of sending battleships to the Strait of Hormuz,” Chalmers told Sky News earlier today.
Ministers previously said Australia had not received a formal request from the US to provide a warship.
Opposition industry minster Andrew Hastie, regarded as a pro-US national security hawk, accused Donald Trump of petulance.Alex Ellinghausen
Opposition frontbencher Andrew Hastie took aim at Trump’s post.
“It was a petulant post from a president under immense pressure … relationships that are longstanding, you show respect and I don’t think it was a respectful post at all,” he told ABC radio on Wednesday.
“We’ve got a proud history and I just don’t think that’s how you treat allies. It’s a reflection on his character more than us.”
Bloomberg, AAP