Australia will join a ‘strictly defensive’ mission led by France and Britain to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, defence minister Richard Marles said Wednesday.

Australia will contribute a Wedgetail E-7A surveillance aircraft, already deployed in the region to protect the United Arab Emirates from Iran drone attacks, Marles said after a meeting of 40 countries.

‘Australia stands ready to support an independent and strictly defensive Multinational Military Mission, led by the United Kingdom and France, once it is established,’ Marles said in a statement.

A multinational military mission is designed to complement diplomatic engagement and de-escalation efforts, while ‘demonstrating a tangible commitment to the security of international trade’, he said.