<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia will be part of the massive peacekeeping operation to protect the Strait of Hormuz, if and when a deal is reached.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The details will be discussed later this week in London with further military deployment a possibility.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/iran" rel="" target="" title="Iran "><span>Iran</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-april-19-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/c2c7491b-d22a-4f1b-bfba-8e932b044fd6" rel="" target="" title="allegedly opened fire on two tankers and blocked access to the oil trade route"><span>allegedly opened fire on two tankers and blocked access to the oil trade route</span></a><span> today, after the US refused to end a blockade on its ports.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>AS IT HAPPENED:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-april-19-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/c2c7491b-d22a-4f1b-bfba-8e932b044fd6"><strong><span>Arch Trump foe claims president was dragged into war</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-trump-says-he-wont-be-blackmailed-of-hormuz-strait/68d5ee70-403b-4341-acf2-2ae2329d6b49"><strong><span>Trump insists 'Iran can't blackmail us' over Strait of Hormuz</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia was working with international partners including the UK, France and the US but refused to "speculate" on what help the country would offer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Look, there has not been a specific request for any Australian capability. Obviously, we will help," he told ABC's </span><em><span>Insiders</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/us-israel-iran-war-update-australia-pledges-to-help-keep-strait-of-hormuz-open-if-deal-is-reached/a23b5f45-e0cd-4ac7-8562-7b73ef07395d" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Strait of Hormuz matters to Australia. It matters that it's open, and it matters that we see the global fuel supply chain return to normal."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Maintaining law on international waters will be an international effort and differ from traditional peacekeeping missions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The opposition is already on board.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We need to inject ourselves into this dispute and make sure that there's the safe navigation of those tankers," former Nationals leader David Littleproud said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But a truce seems tricky to obtain and what that truce looks like is impossible to predict.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> A 49-nation alliance led by Britain and France is preparing a peacekeeping mission.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This really matters for all countries because this is impacting each and every one of our countries," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-strait-of-hormuz-tanker-fired-upon-by-iranian-gunboats/b2966ea4-4d42-4ed8-bbb0-dd69cfa296c6"><strong><span>Container ship reportedly hit by 'unknown projectile' in second incident in critical strait</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia and China are among them but America is not.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Liberal Senator Jonno Duniam said Iran could not be allowed to hold the rest of the world to random.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If a request is made I would think it is in our interest to support any plan to open the straight of Hormuz.," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That request will be discussed at a meeting in London this week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-april-18-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/f95384a1-2f5d-4d88-9ac7-d41f20746d48" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Albanese reveals how Australia could help secure Strait of Hormuz</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With Australia's E7 Wedgetail early warning and surveillance aircraft already in the region, extending that deployment to monitor the straits is the most likely outcome</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have a very significant platform which is currently in the region - which right now is being optimised for the defence of the states of the gulf," Marles said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The first opening of the strait saw the price of oil drop suddenly.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The hope is that a permanent opening will eventually see prices drop permanently as well but that is no guarantee.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said it was a challenging period.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If the conflict continues it will be more challenging, that's way we are working hard with our international partners," he told Sky News </span><em><span>Sunday Agenda</span></em><span>.</span></div></div>