Perth USAsia Centre

📢 DEFENCE MONTH

In the final op-ed of our series, Dr Dr Iain MacGillivray, Senior Research Fellow of International Affairs and Defence Strategy at the Centre, examines how the conflict in Iran and the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz highlight the dangers of strategic hubris and overly optimistic assumptions in warfare.

From chokepoint pressure to coalition strain and coercion below the threshold of open conflict, the lessons are historically familiar, and closely watched by sophisticated adversaries.

Hormuz is not the end of the story. It’s the beginning.

Read on: https://bit.ly/4e53ttj

Assumptions, not reality: Australia's Indian Ocean challenge - Perth USAsia Centre Assumptions, not reality: Australia’s Indian Ocean challenge What is the cost of getting the Indian Ocean wrong? via Canva.com Dr Iain MacGillivraySenior Research Fellow: International Affairs and Defence Strategy, Perth USAsia Centre 26 May 2026 Join the Perth USAsia Centre in the...

📢 DEFENCE MONTH

In the fourth op-ed of our series, panellist Jennifer Parker (Adjunct Professor at UWA Defence and Security Institute , and Troy Lee-Brown (Research Fellow at the UWA Defence and Security Institute), highlight a reality Australia has long overlooked - that the Indian Ocean sits at the centre of the nation’s economic and strategic security, exposed most recently by the Iran War.

Read 'The Indian Ocean is no longer secondary' here: https://bit.ly/4v4B4t7

The Indian Ocean is no longer secondary - Perth USAsia Centre The Indian Ocean is no longer secondary The Iran war is again exposing a reality Australia has long overlooked: the Indian Ocean sits at the centre of the nation’s economic and strategic security. Jennifer Parker Adjunct Professor, University of Western Australia Defence and Security InstituteNon-...

📢 DEFENCE MONTH

In the third op-ed in our series, Jasmin Diab (Partner/MD at GSNP) explores how Australia can play a bigger leadership role in regional nuclear security.

As strengthens Western Australia’s role in the Indo-Pacific security landscape, Australia also has an opportunity to help shape nuclear safety standards, regulation, and cooperation across the Indian Ocean region.

Read 'AUKUS and the Indian Ocean: Why getting nuclear stewardship right, matters now' here: https://bit.ly/4nGrme3

AUKUS and the Indian Ocean: Why getting nuclear stewardship right, matters now - Perth USAsia Centre AUKUS and the Indian Ocean: Why getting nuclear stewardship right, matters now As the region becomes more nuclear, it must also become more secure. Jasmin DiabSenior Research Adviser: Nuclear Technologies,Perth USAsia Centre 19 May 2026 Join the Perth USAsia Centre in the lead‑up to the 2026 India...

📢 DEFENCE MONTH

In the second op-ed in our series, Dr Alexander Lee and Eloise Kelly examine why Australia must engage more deeply with the strategic landscape in the southwestern Indian Ocean.

As disruptions in the Middle East reshape global shipping routes, the Cape of Good Hope is becoming an increasingly viable trade route between Europe and Asia, with important implications for Australian security and strategy.

Read 'Trading around the Cape: Australian security and the southwestern Indian Ocean' here:

Trading around the Cape: Australian security and the southwestern Indian Ocean - Perth USAsia Centre Trading around the Cape: Australian security and the southwestern Indian Ocean As the world moves into an era of increased strategic uncertainty, it would be unwise to assume the northern Indian Ocean sea lanes are reliable.  Dr Alexander LeeVisiting Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Au...