Anthony Albanese says peace negotiations to end the growing Middle East war should resume quickly, as Australia called for the full reopening of the strait of Hormuz and free navigation for all countries.<\/p>\n
Hours after the US president, Donald Trump, said he would institute an American blockade of the strategic waterway<\/a> from Tuesday morning, Australian time, Albanese urged Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations in Pakistan.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to see the strait of Hormuz opened and with freedom of navigation taking place, so obviously, the lack of a resolution in the negotiations that took place on the weekend were disappointing,\u201d Albanese said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to see de-escalation and we want to see those negotiations resumed.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email<\/a><\/p>\n After negotiations in Pakistan \u2013 led by the US vice-president, JD Vance \u2013 failed to resolve the crisis<\/a>, Trump threatened to bomb Iranian water treatment facilities, power plants and bridges if the regime in Tehran did not agree to abandon its nuclear weapons program.<\/p>\n Trump instructed the US navy to begin \u201cblockading any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the strait of Hormuz\u201d.<\/p>\n But Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard responded by declaring that if any warships approached the strait to enforce a blockade, the move would be treated as a breach of the ceasefire and prompt a strong response. It also insisted the strait remained under Iranian control.<\/p>\n About 20% of global oil supplies usually go through the strait, now subject to Iranian drone strikes and undersea mines.<\/p>\n New defence force chief announced<\/p>\n Albanese spoke as he announced that V Adm Mark Hammond, now the chief of the Navy, will replace the current Australian defence force chief, David Johnston, in July.<\/p>\n Hammond said Australian forces would be ready to contributing to an international effort to reopen the strait, if the government made a decision to assist.<\/p>\n