Treasurer Jim Chalmers has pushed back at Donald Trump‘s tirade on social media in which he turned on allies including Australia after he claimed they rejected his plea for help in the Strait of Hormuz.
‘We no longer “need,” or desire, the NATO countries’ assistance – WE NEVER DID. Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,’ the US President wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday.
‘In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE.’
Trump said he had been told America’s allies ‘don’t want to get involved’ in the Iran war, despite his appeals for help securing the Strait as oil prices spiral.
But Chalmers rebuffed the US President’s remarks, adding that there had been no official call to send navy assets to the conflict-ravaged region.
‘There wasn’t a formal request to send ships to the strait,’ he told ABC News on Wednesday.
‘And it’s not something that we’ve been considering in the almost daily National Security Committee meetings that have been taking place over the course of the last couple of weeks.
‘Our commitment is about keeping more than 100,000 Australians safe in the region, including I think about 25,000 Australians in the UAE (United Arab Emirates).’
Donald Trump slammed Australia in an online rant after America’s allies rejected his plea for help in the Strait of Hormuz (pictured in the Oval Office on Monday)
An oil tanker burns after being hit by an Iranian strike in the ship-to-ship transfer zone at Khor al-Zubair port near Basra, Iraq
But Treasurer Jim Chalmers said there hadn’t been a formal request to send ships to the strait
The Treasurer’s comments echoed those of Federal Transport Minister Catherine King, who confirmed on Monday that Australia had not received a request from the US to send a warship to the Strait, and would not send one even if asked.
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who has previously criticised Trump, told ABC the US President’s spray shows what he truly thinks of Australia.
‘This is a guy who does not respect smaller countries,’ Turnbull said.
‘He believes might is right, he makes no bones about that. And he believes that he should be able to do and get whatever he wants.’
He also warned that sending naval assets from other nations into the Strait of Hormuz could risk escalation and play into Iran’s hands.
So far, there has been a staunch refusal from the federal government to send forces into the strait, which is the gateway for about 20 per cent of global gas and oil shipping.
The route has been effectively closed since conflict erupted in the region, leaving tankers idle for more than a week and forcing producers to halt pumping while storage cleared.
However, Anthony Albanese confirmed last week that Australia would provide military assistance to the Persian Gulf.
He said the Defence Force would deploy an E-7A Wedgetail aircraft, 85 personnel and air-to-air missiles to the United Arab Emirates.
The Coalition is understood to have offered the Albanese government room to decline any US request with bipartisan backing.
‘If a formal request is made by the United States, it would need to be assessed against our national interests, including their ability to safely operate in a highly contested strategic environment,’ opposition defence spokesman James Paterson said.
‘Australia’s primary focus remains the Indo-Pacific.’
