Quad Starts Indo-Pacific Monitor Plan as Hormuz Crisis Grows (3)

The US, Japan, India and Australia on Tuesday launched a maritime surveillance initiative for the Indo-Pacific region, among other measures, as the countries’ foreign ministers gathered in New Delhi for a high-profile summit aimed at countering growing threats to commerce.

The meeting comes as Iran discusses establishing a permanent tolling system that would formalize its control over maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies. Iran effectively closed the strait in response to US-Israeli airstrikes that triggered the war in late February.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the region faces “acute economic stress” ...