Commentary

The strategic waterway is becoming the clearest test of whether any state can use force to rewrite the rules governing freedom of navigation, says defence professor and navy veteran Jennifer Parker.

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, Jun 18, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)

CANBERRA: United States President Donald Trump’s proposal to charge a 20 per cent fee on cargo moving through the Strait of Hormuz under US protection was quickly walked back within a day. But it revealed how much the war is shifting. 

More than 130 days into the...