New Zealand asks US to send fuel tankers to Pacific to alleviate pressure caused by Iran war | New Zealand
New Zealand has called on the United States to send fuel tankers to the Pacific to help alleviate significant economic and fuel pressure caused by the war in the Middle East.
New Zealand foreign minister Winston Peters met with US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Washington on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations, Iran and the war in the Pacific.
After the meeting, Peters said he was confident the United States understood “the significant economic impacts of the war on New Zealand and the Pacific.”
“Not just for the New Zealand economy, but also for the Pacific economies for which we have a huge responsibility,” Peters told national broadcaster RNZ. “We left all of these very clear in their minds as our concerns.”
Peters said they had a “serious discussion” about how the United States could help, including asking the United States to “prepare some auxiliary tankers and send them to New Zealand to expand into the Pacific as quickly as possible.”
“We asked them this: Don’t leave it until it happens, be prepared in case it happens. We had a very positive meeting on this basis.”
Pacific countries are particularly vulnerable to fuel supply disruptions and rising costs due to their dependence on imported fuel.
In March, Pacific leaders appealed to foreign partners for help with oil supplies. Samoa’s prime minister, La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, asked New Zealand if it was possible to divert fuel to the island nation in the event of a crisis, while Tonga’s prime minister, Lord Fakafanua, said New Zealand and Australia were sharing intelligence to help his country prepare for famine.
Following Peters and Rubio’s meeting, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire following a last-minute diplomatic intervention led by Pakistan, canceling Donald Trump’s ultimatum for Iran to surrender or face widespread destruction.
Peters declined to comment on the US President’s threat to destroy the entire Iranian civilization if the Iranian government ignores a deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “I do not comment on what presidents and prime ministers say… It is time to act calmly and not rush into decisions we will regret.”
Peters said New Zealand’s relationship with the United States was “excellent” but laughed when asked if the two countries were close friends. “Respectful understandings between each other are more important, and we have that.”
