The Australian government has little option but to live with Iranian control of the strait of Hormuz and counsel its once great friend to employ what’s left of its diplomatic brain
We have all come to expect demeaning and graceless behaviour from Donald Trump. Once again, our expectations have not been disappointed.
In another tirade against his Nato allies for their refusal to involve themselves in the dangerous standoff in the strait of Hormuz, the US president has threatened to “never forget” who helped and who didn’t. He ridiculed the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the Royal Navy for too little, too late. And he expressed his “surprise” that Australia failed to offer some kind of military support as usual. Historically, Trump perhaps has reason for his surprise.
The Nato partners are effectively telling Trump “You broke it, you own it”. Starmer appears to be finding his spine, saying that he “will not buckle” under Trump’s pressure. And Trump’s not happy. Australia is keeping its head down but it is sticking with the crowd.
It has become clear that Trump is out of his depth. He does not know what to do next. He extends deadlines while he deploys even more military force to the Gulf, as though boots on the ground are what’s needed. That would be a disaster, like Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.
