Source: Radio New Zealand
Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced travel bans on members of the Iranian regime involved in the violent suppression of protests. RNZ / Mark Papalii
The Foreign Minister is warning New Zealanders to get out of Iran, adding that the advice to not travel there has been long-standing.
Tensions have been increasing between Iran and the US, and the New Zealand government applied further sanctions on the nation this week.
“It has been horrifying to witness the brutal killing of thousands of protesters in Iran,” Winston Peters said.
“Iranians have the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and access to information. Those rights have been ruthlessly violated.”
New Zealand joined Australia, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada and the United States in implementing travel bans targeting 40 individuals, including Minister of the Interior Eskandar Momeni, Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib, and Prosecutor-General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad. It will also include members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Peters said if war broke out in Iran, which he said was possibly likely, there was a risk innocent New Zealand citizens could be retaliated against by the local regime.
He told RNZ he suspects there could be hundreds of Kiwis in Iran – currently 26 are registered as being there.
“The last time we had this exercise when we were getting people out rapidly when we thought there was an emergency it proved to be well over 130 and very dramatically in the last few days, so we just don’t know.
“Get out, I suppose, is the safest answer for us to give them, and it’s been the advice we’ve given them for some considerable time now,” he said.
In this circumstance Peters says there could be retaliation and that’s why he is encouraging New Zealanders to get out.
“If war was to break out the retaliation against innocent citizens who are there with no essence of guilt whatsoever could be nevertheless very huge, and that’s what we’re warning people against – not just getting caught up in the war but being caught up in retaliatory measures by the local regime.”
Peters told RNZ the motivation for New Zealanders staying in Iran is most likely being near family and making sure they’re safe.
“New Zealanders need to know we go to extraordinary efforts to try and keep our people safe but they have to do their bit to.”
On whether war is likely to break out in Iran, he said, “it’s possibly likely and you have to deal with the worst case circumstances if they arise and that’s what we’re trying to do”.
Peters said there were many countries who shared New Zealand’s view that “Iran is being supported by countless examples of terrorist proxies worldwide – and there are many Middle Eastern and Islamic countries who hold that view as well”.
On global tensions Peters told RNZ it’s the worst he’s seen it since World War II.
“It’s made things all that much more difficult for countries like New Zealand that’s got a tremendous record of supporting peaceful measures and engaging in freedom and democracy and the rule of law.
“It’s made it difficult for all of us but we’ve got to press on and make sure we don’t lose this battle,” he said.
In January, the New Zealand embassy in Iran was temporarily closed due to the “deteriorating” security situation.
At the time a ministry spokesperson said all diplomatic staff had left Iran on commercial flights, shifting operations to Ankara in Turkey.
The government’s long-standing advice over a number of years has been not to travel to Iran and in January, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) urged any New Zealanders still in the country to leave now.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
