Australia must be upfront about its reasons should it reject a US request to send a warship to the Middle East to protect Israel from a rebel-enforced blockage, the federal opposition says.
The request has come through at an operational level from the combined maritime force headquartered in Bahrain, of which Australia has been part.
The passing of legislation by the US Congress enabling Washington to sell Australia nuclear-powered submarines underscored the importance of the geo-strategic relationship, acting opposition leader Sussan Ley said.
"We should support our closest ally, we should genuinely consider their request," she told Seven's Sunrise program on Friday.
"I genuinely want to know if the government is not going to accept this request, then why not?"
That's exactly what the government was doing, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
"We will consider this in the normal course and work through with the Americans about how we can best contribute," he told ABC TV.
"There are Australians who are embedded in that headquarters right now, and in the past we have sent navy vessels to participate in the activities of the (combined maritime force)."
But Australia's main focus had been on the immediate region, with HMAS Toowoomba recently returning from a deployment to the South China Sea, he said.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are enforcing a blockage on ships sailing to Israel through the Red Sea, in what they say is an act of support for Palestinians.
Any international force going in to protect the shipping lanes would face "extraordinary problems" if they made an irrational move, Iran's defence minister warned.
The US military will not hesitate to act "where we deem it necessary and appropriate, including to protect against actions in the maritime domain that could threaten our forces," Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said.
Australia's decision to break with the US and vote for a United Nations resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire could also be seen as a snub, Ms Ley said.
However Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the decision to back a humanitarian ceasefire despite the failure of a US amendment to the resolution explicitly condemning Hamas, which Australia supported.
"We joined with almost every country in the world to say that our position ... is to seek to have all of the hostages released, which should occur," he told Sydney radio station 2GB.
"We respect Israel's right to defend itself but the numbers of casualties are just quite terrible there in Gaza and every innocent life counts, whether it be Israeli or Palestinian."
Mr Albanese denied a humanitarian ceasefire could give Hamas - designated a terrorist organisation by Australia - time to commit more atrocities.
"Hamas can have no role in the future governance of Gaza and we need to work towards a political solution."
All Australians wanted to see an end to hostilities which have raged since Hamas' attack on October 7, Labor cabinet minister Jason Clare said.
"More than 7000 kids have been killed in those 70 days and more under rubble," he said.
"Think about that in the context of all the kids in two childcare centres or three childcare centres being lost each and every day and I think all Australians would want to see that end as soon as it possibly can."
with Reuters
