There are two strong reasons behind the Morrison government’s decision on 21 August to join the US-led International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) in support of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The first is our near-total dependence, as an island nation, on guaranteed freedom of navigation for international shipping for fundamental trade and economic reasons. That guarantee, both in principle and in practice, applies as much to the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent Gulf waters as to other maritime areas of importance to Australia, including the South China Sea and critical passages to our north.
