Australia depends on seaborne trade. AUKUS is our best plan to protect that

March 31, 2026 — 2:00am

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Australians feeling the sting of high fuel prices at the bowser, or seeing supplies struggle to reach regional communities, are being reminded just how dependent Australia is on the arrival of supplies by sea. That dependence sits at the centre of our economic prosperity and our security. It is why AUKUS, and the move to nuclear-powered submarines, matters.

Most Australians would know by now that concerns about global oil supply are, at their core, a maritime problem. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow body of water between Iran and Oman, carries about 20 per cent of the world’s oil. Despite some reporting, the strait is not closed. But Iran has effectively deterred much of the traffic that would normally pass through it, including about 30 oil tankers and more than 100 other vessels each day.

This disruption has not required large-scale attacks. Iran has struck about 21 ships, but it has been enough to unsettle shipping and drive up risk. It has done this despite the presence of the United States military, because geography is on its side. Iran’s coastline runs along the northern edge of the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and into the Gulf of Oman, giving it a natural........

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