Australia will send a hi-tech military plane to join an international mission to reopen the strait of Hormuz, but the Labor government has not ruled out sending more assets to the Middle East. The defence minister, Richard Marles, joined an overnight meeting of defence ministers from 40 other countries, to discuss global efforts to reopen the key shipping channel off the Iranian coastline, which has been closed or heavily restricted since the beginning of the US-Israel assault in February. Marles said the meeting had resolved to back “collective diplomatic, economic and military capabilities to support freedom of navigation through the strait of Hormuz”. “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.…