Australia's foreign minister heads to Asia over Hormuz energy crisis

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will visit Japan, China and Korea from Monday through April 30 to coordinate regional responses to energy market disruptions caused by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, she said in a statement.

The tour comes after U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran on Feb. 28 prompted Tehran to halt crude oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, sending energy prices surging worldwide with Asian refineries and the Indo-Pacific region among the hardest hit. Korea, one of Australia's key suppliers of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel, makes the Seoul stop especially consequential for Pacific energy supply chains.

Wong will meet Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Tokyo on Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday, and Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in Seoul on Thursday, the Korea Times reported.

"The Middle East conflict and closure of the Strait of Hormuz continue to disrupt global energy markets, with Asian refineries and the Indo-Pacific region disproportionately affected," Wong said in the statement.

The crisis traces to Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran, prompting Tehran to cut off crude oil shipments through the strait — a critical chokepoint for global petroleum trade — and triggering an acute price spike that has weighed heavily on Asia-Pacific economies.

Japan is among the most exposed nations, as a major importer of Australian coal and natural gas. Korea, which supplies Australia with diesel, gasoline and jet fuel, makes bilateral energy cooperation a central agenda item for the Seoul leg of the tour.

"Direct, in-person engagement with counterparts across our region will help ensure we are coordinating effectively as these disruptions continue to unfold," Wong said.

Wong pledged her government would keep working with international partners to secure supplies "including diesel, petrol and fertiliser" and ensure Australia is "prioritised as a reliable energy partner," she said in the statement.