Australia’s PM Hails Reopening of Hormuz

(MENAFN) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared Saturday that Canberra would weigh deploying military assets to safeguard commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, as the government welcomed Iran's announcement that the critical waterway has fully reopened under the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement.

Addressing reporters in Sydney, Albanese greeted the development with cautious optimism — but stopped short of declaring the situation resolved.

"This was positive news that we received last night," Albanese said. "We want to see, though, this fragile arrangement confirmed."

When pressed on whether Canberra would commit military resources to keeping the strait open, the Prime Minister indicated the government remained open to allied requests, while acknowledging Australia's geographic realities.

"Australia obviously is a long way away as well from the strait, compared with European nations. It's fair to say that we'll give consideration to requests which are made when we come together," he said.

Fuel Reserves Bolstered Amid Uncertainty
Albanese spoke alongside Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who revealed that Australia had moved swiftly to shore up its national fuel stockpiles over the past week in response to the regional disruption.

As of Saturday, the country's strategic reserves stood at 46 days' worth of petrol, 31 days' worth of diesel, and 30 days' worth of jet fuel — figures Bowen presented as evidence of the government's proactive energy security posture amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East.

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