Scott Morrison on Iran: we'll 'seriously' consider any US request to join military action

Scott Morrison says Australia has not yet been asked to take part in any military action in Iran but says any request from the Trump administration will be considered “seriously and on its merits”.

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has asked Australia to toughen its stance on Tehran and play a key role in a new “global coalition” against the regime.

Tensions between the US and Iran are at their worst point since the White House pulled out of what the president said was an “unfair” nuclear deal known as the joint comprehensive plan of action in May last year.

Before the G20 summit in Osaka, Pompeo called on Australia to join what he described as a “global coalition” against Iran, which last week shot down a US surveillance drone. Iran has said the drone was in its airspace.

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But as the Trump administration escalates its sanctions and rhetoric, Pompeo said the US would welcome a move from Australia to impose additional economic sanctions on Iran.

“I think Australia is an important player here,” he told the Australian. “I think they carry a lot of weight in the sense that they, like many nations, suffer from the fact the world’s largest state sponsor of terror continues down the path of building its missile program in a way that threatens not only the Middle East but the entire world.

“Australia is an ­important economic player so the imposition of more autonomous sanctions would be welcomed as well.”

With the temperature rising, Morrison was asked by the ABC on Friday whether the US had sought or discussed the prospect of Australian involvement in military action when he met Trump and senior administration officials for dinner in Japan on Thursday night.

Morrison said nothing had been sought but Australia was watching developments closely. “There are no requests and at this stage I think those issues are a bit premature but we are obviously concerned,” the prime minister said.

“We will obviously work closely but any request like that will be dealt with in the normal way.”

Pressed on whether he would rule out Australian military support, Morrison said: “We would deal with any request from an ally such as the United States seriously and on its merits.”

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The trade minister, Simon Birmingham, said on Friday morning Australia had not decided to pursue further economic sanctions but they were under consideration. “The situation is troubling,” he told ABC Radio.

Birmingham said the government was continually looking at whether Australia’s current sanctions were “fit for purpose” and was examining the “additional steps” taken by the Trump administration.

The US and Iran have edged closer to conflict after the downing of a Norwegian tanker and a Japanese tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The US has blamed Iran, which denies any involvement.

Trump called off an airstrike against the country last week after the downing of the US drone, instead choosing to impose additional sanctions on Tehran. In a tweet, he threatened to “obliterate” the Middle Eastern country.

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Britain, France and other European leaders, meanwhile, have been urging Tehran to abandon its efforts to enrich uranium at levels that would breach the the Obama-era nuclear deal. While the US has removed itself from the deal, other countries, including Australia and China, still support it and opposed Trump’s decision to withdraw.

The Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif, said on Thursday Trump’s belief he could stage a “short war” with Iran were wrong.

In a tweet, he said: “Sanctions aren’t alternative to war; they ARE war,” adding: “‘Obliteration’=genocide=war crime. ‘Short war’ with Iran is an illusion. Whoever begins war will not be the one ending it. Negotiations and threats are mutually exclusive.”

Trump praised Morrison on Thursday for his election victory in May. Australia’s focus at the G20 summit is trade and encouraging both the US and China to desist from their current dispute.