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Australia will join talks with 35 nations, convened by the United Kingdom, to explore ways to reopen the strait of Hormuz, the government confirmed on Thursday.

The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, announced the meeting on Wednesday, which will exclude the United States, to discuss “all viable diplomatic and political measures” to secure the waterway and restore freedom of navigation. The meeting is expected to take place at about 10pm AEDT on Thursday.

Donald Trump has criticised European nations for not backing his war and said it would be up to other countries to reopen the strait if the US ceases its attacks on Tehran.

In a statement, a government spokesperson welcomed the meeting “to advance freedom of navigation and maritime security in the strait of Hormuz” and confirmed the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, would attend.

“We all want to see safe passage of vessels through the strait, a critical waterway that is being held hostage by the Iranian regime,” they said.

The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, said Wong would attend the meeting virtually. The move follows Australia signing up to a UK-led statement condemning Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels and civilian infrastructure in the Gulf.

“We will work with countries like the UK and France to see how we can help in respect of the strait of Hormuz,” Marles told ABC radio. “All of those countries, and very much Australia, have an interest in seeing the straits of Hormuz opened as soon as possible. We will look to what Australia can do.

“It’s also important to note that we have him in the region our E7-A Wedgetail, which is playing a really important role in providing for the defence of the countries of the Gulf, but specifically the UAE.”

The 35 nations include the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, as well as Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria.

It commits the countries to a “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the strait”.

About 1,000 ships and thousands of civilian sailors have been stranded in the strait by Iran’s partial blockade in response to the US and Israeli strikes. Twenty per cent of the world’s oil and gas supplies were carried through the strait before the conflict, constraining global fuel supplies and swelling prices.

The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, said any request for Australia to contribute should be given “full consideration” but questions the country’s capability to provide support.

“We certainly support opening up the strait of Hormuz … Any reasonable requests made of us should be given absolute fair consideration, and we are willing to be part of that consideration,” Taylor told Sky News.

“The first question is what has been asked of us. I think that’s unclear at this point … We haven’t got clarity on what capability the government might have to help with that exercise.”