It\u2019s been frenetic keeping up with opportunities to explain how Iran\u2019s throttling of the critical oil gateway will play out twelve thousand kilometres away in Australia\u2019s petrol stations, at our airports and on diesel delivery trucks to our farms.<\/p>\n
In his interview for 7NEWS podcast The Issue the retired Air Vice Marshal spoke about national resilience at the level of getting fuel to service stations, but also at the level of foreign policy – and especially Australia\u2019s relationship with US President Donald Trump\u2019s America.<\/p>\n
He seems frustrated when discussing how governments are talking about the potential for prolonged fuel shortages.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still have 80 per cent of the world\u2019s oil. We\u2019ve got to remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1b2d0679403c646c3b7feebb010a48134517e3ef.jpg\")
John Blackburn is a former Air Vice Marshal with the RAAF. Credit: 7NEWS![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/06536f2ed13de06781f0e9d7b9398fad5d7ea552.jpg\")
John Blackburn speaking with Tim Lester Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n
Much of the public discussion has been around Australia\u2019s petrol, diesel and jet fuel stockpiles. They currently stand between 29 and 36 days\u2019 supply.<\/p>\n
The Strait of Hormuz typically channels about 20 per cent of global oil exports.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you cut the supply chain by 20 per cent, one fifth, that 30 days will last 150 days. And I don\u2019t hear any politicians saying that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we\u2019re smart \u2026 we will manage the situation without shortages except for those caused by panic buying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blackburn argues the problems only become severe if the Iran war drags on.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this continues, we\u2019re not only losing fuel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re losing ammonia, urea and nitrogen fertilisers. We\u2019re losing plastics, textiles, construction materials, a whole bunch of things like sulphuric acid (and) helium.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
As I write there are growing indications Trump will seek to end the war soon, raising hopes that calm will return to the Middle East, fuel prices and availability will settle back down and other shortages will resolve.<\/p>\n
Perhaps – but Air Vice Marshal Blackburn hopes the threat stirs action on a range of resilience weak spots.<\/p>\n
\u201c90 per cent of our medicines is imported.\u201d<\/p>\n
He says the weakness set off alarms during the COVID-19 pandemic but still hasn\u2019t been corrected.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never went public with it otherwise we\u2019d cause a panic, but in Victoria at one stage, in some key areas, we went down to three days of morphine supplies, even though we produce about 30-35 per cent of the world\u2019s medicinal opium.\u201d<\/p>\n
But for Blackburn, Australia\u2019s resilience goes beyond protecting supplies of critical goods.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s about our foreign relationships and in particular our long reliance on the United States.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a lot of respect for the US military. The men and women I worked with there over the decades are very impressive \u2026 but their political system and culture is in decay.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Blackburn](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4e0beaf1de8756f71934f830c9aed22b7c6a8f1e.jpg\")
Blackburn says Trump is a \u201crogue\u201d president. Credit: Sky News\/7NEWS![\"There](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4f10bfe305afae93668d7fe460212ea04fe00e1a.jpg\")
There is no end in sight for the war in Iran, with fuel prices continuing to rise across the globe. (EPA PHOTO) Credit: AAP<\/p>\n
Blackburn argues Trump\u2019s presidency has changed the equation for Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, the man\u2019s got no idea of history and how he\u2019s treating Europe and the Brits is just amazingly bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump, he says, is \u201cnot just an incompetent president, but a rogue president.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to grow up. So it\u2019s time to take the training wheels off. And man, that\u2019s scary.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Blackburn, resilience means affordable petrol at the service station. It also means a more independent Australia.<\/p>\n
You can catch more of The Issue on Listnr<\/a> or watch full episodes on our YouTube channel.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Haunting moment woman killed while on the phone with friend<\/p>\n 3 min read<\/p>\n