The New Zealand Government is not close to making any decisions on whether to join a US-led coalition that aims to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, a spokesperson for the Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters says.
This comes after The Wall Street Journal reported that an internal State Department cable from US President Donald Trump's Administration had been sent to US Embassies, calling on diplomats to get foreign governments to agree to sign up to the coalition.
Called the Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC), The Wall Street Journal reported that, according to the cable, the US-led coalition would share information, enforce sanctions and coordinate diplomatically.
According to Reuters, the cable said: "The MFC constitutes a critical first step in the establishment of a post-conflict maritime security architecture for the Middle East. This framework is essential to ensuring long-term energy security, protecting critical maritime infrastructure, and maintaining navigational rights and freedoms in vital sea lanes."
NZ in the process of asking questions, seeking more information
When asked about this coalition on Friday, Peters' spokesperson said: "The Strait of Hormuz is a vital seaway for the global economy, and it is crucial that freedom of navigation be restored. For that reason, New Zealand is in ongoing discussions with a range of partners about this important question of fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz."
"New Zealand has recently received initial and preliminary information on a US proposal to restore and maintain safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz," the spokesperson said.
"We are in the process of asking questions and seeking more information about this preliminary proposal. Accordingly, we are not close to a point where the New Zealand Government would be making any decisions about it."
As well as this, NZ representatives have been involved in meetings alongside representatives of other countries to understand the UK and France-led military planning for a potential multinational mission to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, the spokesperson said.
"Engaging with partners in this context supports New Zealand’s understanding of developments and informs any future advice to Ministers on a potential future contribution to a multinational coalition."
"We continue to seek more information on all of these proposals as they continue to develop."
NZ's consideration of participating in any mission related to the Strait of Hormuz would be contingent on a sustainable ceasefire agreement in place, the spokesperson said.
"Our potential participation would also be a matter for Cabinet consideration at the appropriate future time."
'No serious discussion about it'
Speaking on NZME's Ryan Bridge TODAY, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said officials had been in contact with the US Embassy on Wednesday.
“There’s been a very brief discussion like literally a couple minutes at the end of a meeting, ‘hey guys, this just came in’. But in terms of a serious discussion at Cabinet or anything like that, that’s still a way off - if it happens at all,” Seymour said.
“We’ve been contacted but there’s been no serious discussion about it.”
“In terms of actually getting a proper briefing and having a proper meeting about this, we’re not even close to that yet,” Seymour said.
When asked what he thought about the US-led coalition, Seymour said NZ was an island nation that depends on trade so the seas and navigation of the seas was pretty important to us.
“On the other hand, that’s actually what we had before this war started.”
“Then there's been Keir Starmer's proposal to do roughly the same thing, now there's a new proposal. So the question is not do we want trade and freedom of navigation in the seas, of course we do,” he said.
“The question for New Zealand is going to be how best to achieve that in this rather disturbed context.”
The US Embassy in NZ has been approached for comment.
6 Comments
"...NZ not close to a decision ..."
Sums up everything
If Luxon and co had any scrotal fortitude, they'd tell the US to get its house in order, before we react to anything.
Spain has my respect, in that regard. Real diplomacy, complete with moral courage.
Whereas we have real plonkers, afraid of awakening ire in the late-night twitter-child.
Excellent strategic thinking. Bound to end well when a minuscule economically highly vulnerable south pacific island state instructs an imperial superpower headed by a volatile impetuous Caesar to 'get its house in order'.
I don't think team Luxon are afraid of the US regime. More like envious of it. All Trumpy has to do is flash a bit of leg and they'd all be rushing for the bed with indecent haste. All Luxon is afraid of is the optics to a NZ electorate that on balance sees Trump accurately as a lowlife.
The US knows European naval power has been so run down over recent decades as to be of limited physical use in forcing the strait. This is an entirely political play allowing the US to point the finger of blame elsewhere for the protraction it secretly wants.
We can't avoid crashing our ships into things in the Pacific Ocean. Can't really expect NZ Navy to operate in confined waters like the Persian Gulf.
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