US | Jennifer Parker

What will it take to get ships going through the Strait of Hormuz again?

10 April 2026 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in The Conversation on 10 April 2026 Image: A photo released by the Royal Thai Navy showing the Thai-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree shortly after it was hit by Iranian projectiles 11 nautical miles off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, Mar. 11, 2026. Royal Thai Navy Share article Print article Wednesday’s ceasefire announcement by President Donald Trump, linked to Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, prompte

Australia should support the US on Iran – but within limits

Jennifer Parker | 10 March 2026 *Originally published in the Australian Financial Review on 10 March 2026 Image: A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail comes in to land as it arrives at Nellis Air Force Base, United States, for Exercise Bamboo Eagle 26-1. Defence images/ LACW Nell Bradbury Eight days into the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, Australia has announced a limited contribution to help under-attack Gulf states detect and shoot do

The stakes for Australia in Trump’s Iran gamble

Jennifer Parker | 1 March 2026 *Originally published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 1 March 2026 Image: President Donald J. Trump Monitors U.S. Military Operations in Iran: Operation Epic Fury, February 28, 2026. White House Twitter Account Last night, a missile struck the United States 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, a base where I served in 2023. That strike is a reminder of how much the strategic landscape has hardened in recent years. The United States and Israel hav

In a fractured world, Australia must rebuild its national power

Jennifer Parker | 23 January 2026 *Originally published in the Australian on 23 January 2026 Image: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney 21 January 2026 (on X) It is not even the end of January, yet 2026 is already marking a decisive break in the global order, and in Australia’s place within it. China ended 2025 with its largest military activity around Taiwan under Exercise Justice Mission. The United States has escalated pressure on Venezuela through a high-profile intervent

Maritime boardings and international law:The Venezuela context

9 January 2025 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in The Lowy Institute's The Interpreter on 9 January 2025 Image: US European Command Twitter Recent US boardings of oil tankers linked to Venezuela have prompted claims of piracy and illegality under international law. In reality, many of these boardings rest on a sound legal basis. Boarding vessels at sea is a routine naval activity permitted in limited circumstances under international law. This explainer outlines the i

What Venezuela tells us about Australia’s security

5 January 2026 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 5 January 2026 Image: Operation Absolute Resolve ( White House Twitter Account ). The image was confronting: Venezuela’s President, Nicolás Maduro , handcuffed aboard a United States warship, the USS Iwo Jima . It was a moment that made clear 2026 will be no calmer than the year before. From Australia, this may appear a distant drama in the Americas, tied to Washington’s long-running effort

NATO’s 5% of GDP defence target ramps up pressure on Australia to spend vastly more

27 June 25 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Conversation on 27 June 2025. Image: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP, meets with Minister of National Defence of Canada David McGuinty at the 2025 NATO Leaders’ Summit. (Defence Images) After lobbying by US President Donald Trump, NATO leaders have promised to boost annual defence spending to 5% of their countries’ gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035. A NATO statement releas