Seymour warns rushing judgement on US airstrikes against Iran
The Acting Prime Minister is warning against rushing to judgment on the United States' airstrikes on Iran, saying the rest of the world is not waiting to hear New Zealand's position. David Seymour has stepped in for Christopher Luxon at this week's post-Cabinet press conference, and he was pushed for a response on the strikes. Mr Luxon is in Europe for the NATO summit this week, where the Middle East is likely to dominate proceedings. Political reporter Giles Dexter spoke to Lisa Owen.
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How Would An Escalation In Conflict In The Middle East Impact New Zealand
Article – RNZ Explainer – America jumped into the war between Israel and Iran over the weekend, as US President Donald Trump announced air strikes on Iran's three principal nuclear sites. The intervention of the US in the conflict has raised concerns worldwide about what's next, including how it might affect New Zealand, from citizens overseas to the price of petrol. Here's a look at what you need to know so far. What's NZ's role in the conflict? Are we going to war? New Zealand has maintained a cautious stance politically as the conflict between Iran and Israel has ramped up in recent weeks. That remains the case today, with the prime minister urging that diplomatic talks resume. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is overseas for a NATO summit, told RNZ's Morning Report that New Zealand wanted to see a peaceful stable and secure Middle East. 'The way to get there is a political solution rather than military action, it's actually through dialogue and diplomacy.' As a small country that is thousands of miles away from the conflict, all New Zealand could do was to advocate for what it thought should happen, he said. 'What we don't need is more military action, we need a political solution to all of these issues in the Middle East.' On Sunday, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said ongoing military action in the Middle East was 'extremely worrying'. Peters previously said before the weekend escalation that the provocative behaviour by both Israel and Iran was to be criticised, and New Zealand would not take sides in a conflict of this nature. 'There are no innocent parties in this conflict,' he said. Will this latest Middle East conflict affect the price of petrol – and everything else? The escalation poses a major threat to New Zealand's economy, RNZ's Susan Edmunds reports. Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said if there were attacks on US shipping, or attempts to limit access through the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices could spike. Iran's parliament reportedly voted on Monday morning (NZ time) to close the Strait of Hormuz, which around 20 percent of the world's oil travels through. 'If [Iran] do ratchet up the tension further, if this starts to broaden out into shipping attacks, I think market expectations and worries about oil supply will increase substantially. The question is, just to what degree do you price this and how do markets look at that?' Koura KiwiSaver founder Rupert Carlyon said the biggest risk was to inflation. 'If it does turn into a broader Middle East war and potentially shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, then we are likely to see higher oil prices, which will flow through to everything and shipping delays making it harder and more expensive to import things here in New Zealand.' What about Kiwis who are in Iran or Israel? Nearly 250 New Zealanders are now registered as being in Iran and Israel as a Defence Force Hercules makes its way to the region to help. New figures provided to RNZ and recorded on SafeTravel show 119 New Zealanders in Iran and 117 in Israel. RNZ understands some of those people may have managed to flee somewhere safer, but have not yet updated their status with SafeTravel. The Defence Force announced on Sunday it is sending a plane to the Middle East to assist any New Zealanders stranded in Iran or Israel. The plane is not part of any military combat operations. The C-130J Hercules, along with government personnel, left Auckland on Monday morning. It will take several days for it to arrive. Peters said New Zealanders should do everything they can to leave now, if they can find a safe route. 'We know it will not be safe for everyone to leave Iran or Israel, and many people may not have access to transport or fuel supplies,' he said. 'If you are in this situation, you should shelter in place, follow appropriate advice from local authorities and stay in touch with family and friends where possible.' Peters earlier said the number of New Zealanders registered in Iran had jumped since the escalation of the crisis. 'We thought, at a certain time, we had them all counted out at 46,' he said. 'It's far more closer to 80 now, because they're coming out of the woodwork, despite the fact that, for months, we said, 'look, this is a danger zone', and for a number of days we've said, 'get out if you possibly can'.' There were 101 New Zealanders registered in Israel. Again, Peters said the figure had risen recently. 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. How are New Zealanders with ties to the region coping? Elham Salari, an Iranian in New Zealand told RNZ on Sunday she was deeply worried for her family members back home. 'I'm so scared. I'm so stressed… all I'm thinking is 'What's going to happen next?' Trump said he wants peace… but Iran's regime will not let it go easily. There will be a bigger war. It's going to destroy our country and our people are going to die.' Salari said she had woken up to messages from her family on Sunday who confirmed they were safe, but she had not been able to get back in contact with them since. Meanwhile, New Zealand Jewish Council spokesperson Ben Kepes said people should not conflate the actions of the Israeli government and the Israeli military with Jews worldwide. Iran has said multiple times that it does not believe Israel has a right to exist, he said. 'Most New Zealanders when they understand the issues would say that regardless of whether they support the actions of the Israeli government, that Israel has a right to exist as a sovereign nation.' Kepes said he was a Jew in New Zealand and did not hold an Israeli passport, nor vote for the government in Israel. 'I have zero control over Israel, so holding me responsible of the actions of the government is not only absurd, but it's a stereotype that is really dangerous.'
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How Would An Escalation In Conflict In The Middle East Impact New Zealand
Explainer – As the US joins the conflict between Israel and Iran, how will New Zealand be affected? Here's what you need to know so far as the situation continues to unfold. RNZ Online Explainer – America jumped into the war between Israel and Iran over the weekend, as US President Donald Trump announced air strikes on Iran's three principal nuclear sites. The intervention of the US in the conflict has raised concerns worldwide about what's next, including how it might affect New Zealand, from citizens overseas to the price of petrol. Here's a look at what you need to know so far. What's NZ's role in the conflict? Are we going to war? New Zealand has maintained a cautious stance politically as the conflict between Iran and Israel has ramped up in recent weeks. That remains the case today, with the prime minister urging that diplomatic talks resume. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is overseas for a NATO summit, told RNZ's Morning Report that New Zealand wanted to see a peaceful stable and secure Middle East. 'The way to get there is a political solution rather than military action, it's actually through dialogue and diplomacy.' As a small country that is thousands of miles away from the conflict, all New Zealand could do was to advocate for what it thought should happen, he said. 'What we don't need is more military action, we need a political solution to all of these issues in the Middle East.' On Sunday, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said ongoing military action in the Middle East was 'extremely worrying'. Peters previously said before the weekend escalation that the provocative behaviour by both Israel and Iran was to be criticised, and New Zealand would not take sides in a conflict of this nature. 'There are no innocent parties in this conflict,' he said. Will this latest Middle East conflict affect the price of petrol – and everything else? The escalation poses a major threat to New Zealand's economy, RNZ's Susan Edmunds reports. Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said if there were attacks on US shipping, or attempts to limit access through the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices could spike. Iran's parliament reportedly voted on Monday morning (NZ time) to close the Strait of Hormuz, which around 20 percent of the world's oil travels through. 'If [Iran] do ratchet up the tension further, if this starts to broaden out into shipping attacks, I think market expectations and worries about oil supply will increase substantially. The question is, just to what degree do you price this and how do markets look at that?' Koura KiwiSaver founder Rupert Carlyon said the biggest risk was to inflation. 'If it does turn into a broader Middle East war and potentially shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, then we are likely to see higher oil prices, which will flow through to everything and shipping delays making it harder and more expensive to import things here in New Zealand.' What about Kiwis who are in Iran or Israel? Nearly 250 New Zealanders are now registered as being in Iran and Israel as a Defence Force Hercules makes its way to the region to help. New figures provided to RNZ and recorded on SafeTravel show 119 New Zealanders in Iran and 117 in Israel. RNZ understands some of those people may have managed to flee somewhere safer, but have not yet updated their status with SafeTravel. The Defence Force announced on Sunday it is sending a plane to the Middle East to assist any New Zealanders stranded in Iran or Israel. The plane is not part of any military combat operations. The C-130J Hercules, along with government personnel, left Auckland on Monday morning. It will take several days for it to arrive. Peters said New Zealanders should do everything they can to leave now, if they can find a safe route. 'We know it will not be safe for everyone to leave Iran or Israel, and many people may not have access to transport or fuel supplies,' he said. 'If you are in this situation, you should shelter in place, follow appropriate advice from local authorities and stay in touch with family and friends where possible.' Peters earlier said the number of New Zealanders registered in Iran had jumped since the escalation of the crisis. 'We thought, at a certain time, we had them all counted out at 46,' he said. 'It's far more closer to 80 now, because they're coming out of the woodwork, despite the fact that, for months, we said, 'look, this is a danger zone', and for a number of days we've said, 'get out if you possibly can'.' There were 101 New Zealanders registered in Israel. Again, Peters said the figure had risen recently. 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. How are New Zealanders with ties to the region coping? Elham Salari, an Iranian in New Zealand told RNZ on Sunday she was deeply worried for her family members back home. 'I'm so scared. I'm so stressed… all I'm thinking is 'What's going to happen next?' Trump said he wants peace… but Iran's regime will not let it go easily. There will be a bigger war. It's going to destroy our country and our people are going to die.' Salari said she had woken up to messages from her family on Sunday who confirmed they were safe, but she had not been able to get back in contact with them since. Meanwhile, New Zealand Jewish Council spokesperson Ben Kepes said people should not conflate the actions of the Israeli government and the Israeli military with Jews worldwide. Iran has said multiple times that it does not believe Israel has a right to exist, he said. 'Most New Zealanders when they understand the issues would say that regardless of whether they support the actions of the Israeli government, that Israel has a right to exist as a sovereign nation.' Kepes said he was a Jew in New Zealand and did not hold an Israeli passport, nor vote for the government in Israel. 'I have zero control over Israel, so holding me responsible of the actions of the government is not only absurd, but it's a stereotype that is really dangerous.' According to the 2023 Census, about 2700 people living in New Zealand are of Israeli or Jewish background, while about 5600 identify with the Iranian ethnic group.
