The NZ Government has received an invitation from the US to participate in a multilateral force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The US State Department invited partner countries to join a new coalition called Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC) to enable ships to navigate the Strait.
“The New Zealand Government must reject any proposal to be part of this US plan. Responsibility for this situation sits squarely with the US and Israel. Their illegal and unprovoked war was the catalyst for this situation,” said Valerie Morse of Peace Action Wellington.
“The Iranian Government has been clear that it is prepared to open the Strait when the US and Israel stop the war.”
“Reports that the Maritime Freedom Construct would sit squarely under US Central Command illustrates that this is a just another US military operation. Reports say that it would share maritime intelligence, coordinate diplomatic pressure and enforce sanctions, jointly operated between the US State Department and US Central Command.”
“The US is decrying the lack of freedom of navigation while its partner in crime, Israel, continues to enforce an illegal land, sea and air blockade of Gaza that has been going on for 18 years. Just two days ago, Israel illegally boarded dozens of ships in international waters, hundreds of miles from Israel’s coast, kidnapping people on board
carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. Some are now being detained by the Israeli Occupation Forces while others were dumped on the island of Crete.”
“Irrespective of whether Trump eventually receives UN support for this initiative or manages to cobble together a ‘coalition of the wiling’, New Zealand should have no role in any monitoring of the Strait of Hormuz. This would shift responsibility for the US and Israel’s mess and be post facto endorsement of the war.”
“This was the US strategy in Iraq in 2003 following its illegal invasion. It bombed and destabilised the country, then handed it over to the UN to clean up the enormous horror it had created. New Zealand was involved in the ongoing occupation for close to 20 years.”
“New Zealand must stand up against the US and Israeli war on Iran. That is where New Zealand’s diplomatic efforts should be exerted.”