logo
Foreign Minister Winston Peters on US strikes on Iran

Foreign Minister Winston Peters on US strikes on Iran

RNZ News5 hours ago

The United States says it has devastated Iran's nuclear programme, after its military bombed three nuclear sites on Sunday. The American military action comes only days after the US President Donald Trump said he was still deciding whether to step into the conflict between Israel and Iran. Foreign Minister Winston Peters spoke to Corin Dann.
Tags:
To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following:
See terms of use.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

NZ may help Pacific Islanders in the Middle East 'where feasible' says Peters spokesperson
NZ may help Pacific Islanders in the Middle East 'where feasible' says Peters spokesperson

RNZ News

timean hour ago

  • RNZ News

NZ may help Pacific Islanders in the Middle East 'where feasible' says Peters spokesperson

A C-130J Hercules at Whenuapai RNZAF base. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel A spokesperson for New Zealand's minister of foreign affairs says where feasible, they may assist Pacific Islanders in the Middle East. The Defence Force is sending a plane to the Middle East to assist any New Zealanders stranded in Iran or Israel. This was decided before the US A spokesperson for Winston Peters said in a statement that New Zealand is working with partner countries and will be coordinating with other consular operations. "The Minister has said New Zealand will play its part as a good international citizen, and where feasible, that may involve assisting other nationals including those from the Pacific Islands." The foreign affairs ministry (MFAT) is providing SafeTravel advice on overland evacuation and border routes, the spokesperson said. This includes how MFAT will support New Zealanders to receive travel authorisation for border crossing from Iran. "It is important to note that nationals of the Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue have the rights of New Zealand citizens - and if nationals from those countries are in Iran or Israel, they're urged to follow the advice from MFAT to all New Zealanders to depart overland, if it is safe to do so." New Zealanders in Iran and Israel needing urgent consular assistance should call the Ministry's Emergency Consular Call Centre on +64 99 20 20 20. The C-130J Hercules, along with government personnel, left Auckland on Monday morning but will take a few days to reach the region. Its exact destination in the Middle East was not disclosed for security reasons. Airspace is still closed in the region, but New Zealand's defence minister Judith Collins said on Sunday the deployment was part of New Zealand's contingency plans. The government was also in discussions with commercial airlines to see what they could do to assist, although it was uncertain when airspace would reopen. Foreign minister Winston Peters has reiterated New Zealand's call for diplomacy and dialogue. World leaders have reacted to the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites . Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump in a recorded statement. "History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons." Iran's foreign minister Araghchi wrote on X that the US had "committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations". "In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest and people." Meanwhile, US bombers sent into the Pacific on the weekend were a decoy, a US official said. International media had reported that B-2 bombers had been deployed to a US military base on the Pacific island of Guam. In a press conference at the Pentagon, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said the strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities involved sending B2 bombers to the Pacific as a decoy. The Marianas Press reported General Caine saying this 'deception effort' was known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store