Our PM slunk off for five days’ R&R despite having just enjoyed a three week parliamentary break, so she isn’t around to comment. However, she was highly critical of Trump’s decision in May to withdraw from the 2015 Iranian nuclear accord which he said was “defective at its core”.
“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she wants some kind of deal with Iran to continue, even though the US has withdrawn from the Iran nuclear accord.
[…] During a Tuesday morning news conference, Ardern said the deal made for “a more stable, predictable Middle East”.
Stuff
In Ardern’s imaginary world of fairy dust and unicorns, she is quite correct, but in the real world, Iran’s missile test was also a test on the responsiveness of international powers to their missile muscle-flexing.
Ardern is not alone. Both Winston Peters and Simon Bridges are paralysed by the same Kool-Aid of inertia.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters told 1 News Trump’s decision was a worry, “but I don’t think it’s impossible to get a better deal out of the Iranians”.
“I hope that’s the case, because it’s a very, very concerning development.”
Opposition leader Simon Bridges said that although the deal may not have been perfect, “it seemed to be making progress” and now “we’ve got uncertainty”.
“With an agreement like this, that’s been hard fought for, that is complex, that’s come together with Iran – to see their [Iran’s] nuclear capability decrease, to see them stock less uranium – we would want to see that endure across administrations.
“The real issue with what Trump has done here, is he has pulled back from that. There’s lurch, if you like, in the policy settings.
“On balance, while he’s got his arguments and says he’s got very clear evidence for where he’s at, that does make the world just somewhat less safe today than it was.”
Stuff
In other words, all New Zealand’s political leaders are singing from the same song sheet, that “Trump should stop rocking the boat or something terrible will happen” or “don’t poke the bear – if you leave it alone it will leave you alone”.
What gutless wonders we are saddled with!
The issue of transporting unwanted fossil oil through the Strait of Hormuz is of no concern to the government, or the opposition, because fossil fuels are an expletive here.
Mike Pompeo offered to travel to Teheran to talk.
“Sure. If that’s the call, I’d happily go there… I would welcome the chance to speak directly to the Iranian people,” the top US diplomat told Bloomberg TV.
He also contacted other countries for support in a show of military strength.
“Mike Pompeo calls on other nations to join a US-led force to protect international tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
“In a separate interview broadcast by Fox News, Mr Pompeo said that Washington had already asked Britain, Japan, France, Germany, South Korea, Australia and other nations to join a planned maritime security initiative in the Middle East called Operation Sentinel.
Every country that has an interest in ensuring that those waterways are open and crude oil and other products can flow through the Strait of Hormuz needs to participate,” Mr Pompeo said.”
Sky News
No mention of New Zealand of course. Did the US see the writing on the wall and not bother with us?