Yet Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds have announced that Australia will contribute to the Trump-led mission in the Strait of Hormuz. Morrison says Australia will help ensure freedom of navigation in international waters and that we are acting in response to what he calls “destabilising behaviour” in the Gulf. Reynolds says our core concern is de-escalation.

Let’s be clear: the destabilising behaviour was in fact initiated by our ally, the US, and sending additional troops, planes and ships into an increasingly tense situation is not a move likely to de-escalate tensions.