Australia is another hesitant .. alliance and Washington in the Gulf cracks before being formed

Australia said on Sunday it was seriously considering a US request to join an international alliance to protect merchant ships in the Persian Gulf, as fears of being drawn into a conflict with Iran escalate.

"We are very concerned about the growing tension in the region and strongly condemn the attacks on maritime trade in the Gulf of Oman," Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds said.

In response to the US request, the minister said at a news conference after a meeting in Sydney with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and new Defense Minister Mark Esper, "The request made by the United States is very serious and that is why we are currently considering it very seriously. In the end, we will decide what is our national interest. "

"Do not believe what the press says, there are a lot of talks going on with all countries, like Australia, and all of them take this request very seriously," he said. "I am convinced that we will have an international alliance," he said. .

The defense minister, who promised to issue statements in the coming days, appeared to be more flexible, noting that the allies' responses were "diverse".

"The goal remains the same, whether it is a US-led operation or another party," he said, hinting that Washington could give up the lead. "Both are achieving the same goal: unifying efforts to ensure freedom of navigation."

Washington is still struggling to form a coalition, with Westerners still rejecting the US proposal to deploy additional military means to escort their ships across the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions in the Gulf have escalated since the US withdrawal in May 2018 of the Iranian nuclear deal, Washington for tough sanctions on Tehran.

The United States launched the idea of ​​the alliance in June following attacks on several ships in the Gulf region, after referring to Iran, which denies this.

The idea is that each country will be accompanied by its own military ships with the support of the US military, who will take over air control of the area and command operations.

European position
The Europeans reject the offer because they do not want to participate in US President Donald Trump's policy of exerting "extreme pressure" on Iran and are trying to maintain agreement on Iran's nuclear program.

France, Britain and Germany plan to coordinate their means and share information in the Gulf to promote maritime security, but without deploying additional military means, according to French Defense Minister Florence Barley.

"We are working to organize ourselves as Europeans, but one thing is certain: our move will have only one goal: to reduce tension and defend our interests," she said.

Berlin has distanced itself from the idea of ​​a protection mission in the Strait of Hormuz, saying it would complicate European efforts to reach a diplomatic settlement with Iran.

"In our view, priority should be given to diplomatic efforts and a halt to escalation" in the tanker crisis between Tehran and London, government spokeswoman Ulrike Demire said last week.

"The German government is reluctant to accept the proposal made by the United States, which is why it did not offer participation," because "the overall approach of our policy towards Iran is markedly different from the current approach of the United States."

Following Iran's detention of a British tanker in July, London decided to escort civilian vessels flying the British flag in the Strait of Hormuz, and sent a second warship to the area.