The history of the invasion of Iraq should weigh heavily on the minds of Australians as we once again send troops into harm’s way in the Middle East.

Just as the Iraq invasion contributed to two decades of instability in the Middle East, there are also serious risks in Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s decision to send a vessel, an aircraft and some personnel to the Persian Gulf.

Loading

The decision has been on the cards since US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during a visit here two weeks ago, formally made a request to join a US-led mission to defend oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, which have come under attack in recent months, most likely by Iran or its proxies. Iran has also shot down a US drone and seized a British tanker, alleging it had broken maritime laws.

Mr Morrison formally announced the deployment on Wednesday morning, following Cabinet’s endorsement.