NZ’s PM Luxon says he misspoke in supporting ‘any actions’ on Iran
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New Zealand's PM Christopher Luxon said New Zealand’s support for actions to stop Iran getting nuclear weapons was “not at any cost”.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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AUCKLAND – New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he misspoke when he stated that his centre-right government supported “any actions” to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, further muddying his message on the Middle East conflict.
His comments came after a press conference on March 2 in which the Prime Minister was at times unable to clearly articulate whether his government believed US President Donald Trump’s order for strikes on Iran was legal.
Mr Luxon, who faces an election in November, argued he could not give a view because the attacks were based on information and intelligence obtained by the US and Israel, which New Zealand was not privy to.
It is up to the Americans and the Israelis to assert the legal basis for their attacks, he added.
He sought to clarify his position on March 3, saying New Zealand’s support for actions to stop Iran getting nuclear weapons was “not at any cost”.
“The example was raised to me about carpet bombing and clearly that is not what we want to see,” he said.
Many nations, including neighbouring Australia, have expressed support for the US-Israeli strikes, framing them as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to counter Tehran’s human rights abuses.
New Zealand’s response has been more cautious, saying it “acknowledges the actions” taken by the US and Israel to stop Iran threatening international peace and security.
Other nations and officials – specifically Russia, China and the United Nations Secretary-General – have argued the use of force was unlawful under international law, saying it violated sovereignty and bypassed proper legal authorisation for military action.
European powers including France, Germany and Britain stopped short of endorsing the strikes outright, urging diplomacy and restraint while distancing themselves from the operation.
In New Zealand, Mr Luxon has also come under pressure from former Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark, who has said his government’s response is a disgrace.
“What was wrong with it was it didn’t call out the illegal strike against Iran in the middle of diplomatic negotiations,” she said on Radio New Zealand on March 2.
“The whole point of international law is to put rules around when force is legitimate. A strike is justified if there is an imminent threat of attack, which clearly there was not.” Bloomberg
