Australian military plane to join efforts to reopen strait of Hormuz, as Marles leaves door open to sending more assets

Defence minister says E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft deployed to Gulf in March will join UK and France-led defensive effort to calm Iran conflict

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Australia will send a hi-tech military plane to join an international mission to reopen the strait of Hormuz, but the Labor government has not ruled out sending more assets to the Middle East.

The defence minister, Richard Marles, joined an overnight meeting of defence ministers from 40 other countries, to discuss global efforts to reopen the key shipping channel off the Iranian coastline, which has been closed or heavily restricted since the beginning of the US-Israel assault in February.