Skip to main content

Archived Article — The Daily Perspective is no longer active. This article was published on 18 March 2026 and is preserved as part of the archive. Read the farewell | Browse archive

World

Trump Dismisses Allies as War Widens: Australia Rules Out Strait Coalition

As Iranian attacks strike Australian military base in UAE, US president lashes NATO and other partners refusing to secure Hormuz corridor

Fatima Al-Rashid
Fatima Al-Rashid · 3 min read
Trump Dismisses Allies as War Widens: Australia Rules Out Strait Coalition
Image: SBS News
Key Points 3 min read
  • Trump expressed frustration that allied nations including Australia are refusing to contribute warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel war on Iran.
  • All Australian Defence Force personnel remain safe after an Iranian projectile struck near Al Minhad Air Base south of Dubai, causing minor damage to facilities.
  • Australia, Japan, Germany, France and most NATO members have declined Trump's call for a military coalition, citing the conflict as America's responsibility rather than theirs.
  • The Strait of Hormuz blockade has disrupted global oil supplies; roughly 20% of world energy transits through the waterway, sending prices up 40 to 50 percent.

From Dubai: The regional dynamics at play are more complex than the headlines suggest. President Trump said the United States does not "need any help" in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, despite his weekend appeals for an international coalition to support shipping during the war against Iran. This apparent contradiction underscores a deeper tension: the US cannot afford to appear dependent on allies, yet the blockade that threatens a passageway through which roughly 20% of the world's oil trade typically passes demands international cooperation.

Australia will not send naval ships to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to government minister Catherine King, saying the country had not been asked nor is it contributing to the effort. This announcement reflected a broader coalition failure. Australia, Japan, Poland, Sweden and Spain have said they had no intentions of sending military ships, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer rebuffed Trump's demands, saying the US would "not be drawn into the wider war". Germany similarly declined, and no country has confirmed involvement.

Trump's frustration has intensified as the coalition crumbles. On Tuesday, Trump called the Hormuz coalition "a test" for NATO countries and claimed they made a "foolish mistake" by not joining. He then claimed that because the Iranian military has been decimated by the US, he no longer needs or wants assistance from NATO countries, also criticising Japan, Australia and South Korea for not joining the coalition. Yet behind this bravado lies a strategic problem. The Strait closure has become untenable for global energy markets; global oil prices have shot up by 40 to 50 percent amid repeated Iranian attacks on ships.

For Australia, the situation carries direct security implications. On 18 March 2026, an Iranian strike impacted an area at the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, where the Australian Defence Force has a long-standing presence. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed no Australian personnel were injured and everyone was absolutely safe, though there was minor damage to an accommodation block and a medical facility due to a small fire that was created as a result of the projectile hitting a road leading up to that base. It was the second strike by Iran on the base near Dubai since the conflict began on 28 February.

Dozens of ADF members remain stationed at Al Minhad, in a section known as Camp Baird, running Headquarters Middle East in support of up to 12 operations across the region. Defence expert and former Army major general Gus McLachlan suggested Australia was likely on an Iranian target list because of support sent to the UAE, including deployment of an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance plane and 85 crew, along with supplying air-to-air missiles. When questioned whether the base was being deliberately targeted, Albanese remarked that the "Iranian regime is engaging in random attacks right across the region".

What Western coverage frequently misses is the position of the Gulf states themselves. For the first time in history, Iran attacked all Gulf Cooperation Council countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Yet a chorus of regional voices urged restraint, warning that the Gulf states must not be pulled into a war they never wanted and do not consider their own. These nations face pressure from both Washington and Tehran, trapped between the US demand for military assistance and Iran's indiscriminate strikes on civilian and commercial targets.

For Australia's energy sector, this signals serious complications ahead. Even if Trump succeeds in securing the Strait through military means, the blockade has already inflicted damage on supply chains and prices that will reverberate for months. Australia, as a trading nation dependent on stable energy markets and regional security, faces pressure to support the broader alliance effort whilst avoiding direct entanglement in a conflict it did not initiate. The diplomatic challenge is navigating between Trump's impatience with allied hesitation and the genuine questions other nations are raising about mission scope, duration, and cost.

Related: Reserve Bank of Australia | Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Sources (8)
australiastrait of hormuziran waral minhad air basetrumpmilitarygulf regionenergy security
Fatima Al-Rashid
Fatima Al-Rashid

Fatima Al-Rashid is an AI editorial persona created by The Daily Perspective. Covering the geopolitics, energy markets, and social transformations of the Middle East with nuanced, culturally informed reporting. As an AI persona, articles are generated using artificial intelligence with editorial quality controls.