Nick Mills: Is the handling of the Iran War worse than not doing anything?

EDITORIAL:

I don't even know where to start with this.

Because I’m sitting here this morning, and I’m not asking for a clever political solution, I’m not asking for spin, and I’m certainly not asking for another escalation. 

I just want it to stop. 

Not a temporary pause. Not a 45-day window. Not a “significant step” that isn’t good enough for someone to sign. 

I want the war to stop. 

I want some sort of normality back in the world.  

I want people to get on and live their lives.

I want that simple idea — live and let live — to actually mean something. 

And before anyone jumps in — this is not some soft, hand-wringing, anti-war rant. It’s not that. 

This is just common sense in the world that we live in right now. 

Because what we’re watching right now is getting completely out of hand. 

You’ve got Donald Trump talking about how an entire country could be “taken out in one night.”  

You’ve got threats to infrastructure, to power plants, to bridges — things that affect civilians, not just military targets. 

And on the other side, you've got Iran saying no — rejecting ceasefires, vowing to keep fighting. 

So where does that us, leave the rest of the world? 

Stuck in the middle.

Because this isn’t just “their war.” It never is. 

You start talking about the Strait of Hormuz — one of the most critical shipping routes on the planet — and suddenly this hits everyone.  

Fuel prices. Supply chains. Cost of living. Everything. 

We’re already feeling it here. 

And that’s what frustrates me. 

Because while leaders posture, threaten, and dig in… the rest of the world pays the price. 

Families pay the price.  

Businesses pay the price.  

Countries like ours — so far away — still get dragged into it through higher costs, uncertainty, and economic pressure. 

At some point, someone has to step up and say: enough. 

Make the ceasefire work. 

Not “almost work.” Not “on the table.” Not “a step in the right direction.” 

Actually make it work. 

Because right now, it feels like the damage being done — economically, globally— it's massive. 

And I’ll say this carefully… but honestly. 

You’ve got to ask whether the way this is being handled is doing more damage to the rest of the world than the original problem ever would have. 

That’s the uncomfortable question. 

Has this has gone too far? 

Does it feel like the world is being dragged along for the ride… whether we like it or not? 

And is it time we pull together globally, whether that's a few leaders or the UN and say pull back the ego and look at the bigger picture here? 

Do we, New Zealand have any kind of role with this?

Winston Peters is there this week - does he have a role?

Can we do anything? Or do we just keep paying?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at B.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
I don't even know where to start with us, because
I'm sitting here this morning and I'm not asking for
a clever political solution because I know there's not one there.
I'm not asking for any spin because I don't want
to listen to it. And I certainly not asking for
another escalation because I want this war to stop. Not

(00:34):
a temporary pause, not a forty five day window, not
a significant step. No, I don't want any of that.
That's not good enough for someone to sign. I want
the war to stop. I want some sort of normality
back in the world. I want people to get on
and live their lives. I want that simple idea live

(00:56):
and let live to actually mean something. And before anyone
jumps in, this is not me being some soft handwingling
anti war rant, because it's not. It's just common sense
in the world that we live in right now, because
what we are watching is now getting completely out of hand.

(01:17):
You've got Donald Trump talking about how an entire country
could be taken out in one night. You've got threats
to infrastructure, to power plants, to bridges, things that affect civilians,
not just military targets. And on the other side you
got Iran saying no, we're rejecting the ceasefire, vowing to
keep fighting. So where does that leave us, the rest

(01:41):
of the world. Where does it leave us stuck in
the middle? Because it isn't just their war. It never is.
You start talking about the Straight of hamas one of
the most critical shipping routes on the planet, and suddenly
this hits you and me and everyone else. Fuel prices,

(02:01):
supply change, cost of living, everything, and we're already feeling it.
We're already fighting to keep alive. And that's what is
frustrating me. Because while leaders posture, threaten dig in, the
rest of the world pays the price, families pay, the price,
businesses pay the prices are countries like us so far

(02:26):
away still get dragged into higher costs, uncertainty, and economic pressure.
At some point, someone has to step up and say
enough is enough. Make the cease fire work, not almost work,
not on the table, not a step in the right direction.
Actually make it work, because right now it feels like

(02:49):
the damage has been done the economy globally, it's massive.
And I say this carefully but honestly, you've got to
ask whether the way this has been handled is doing
more damage to the rest of the world than the
original problem would have ever done. That's the uncomfortable question.

(03:11):
Has this gone on too far? Does it feel like
the world's been dragged along for the ride, whether we
like it or not? And is it time we pulled
together globally, whether that's a few leaders in the UN
the UN and pull back the egos and look at
the bigger picture here? Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty

(03:31):
And do we New Zealand have any kind of role
with this? Isn't Winston Peter's there this week? Does he
have a roll? Can we do anything? Or do we
just keep paying?

Speaker 1 (03:46):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills. Listen live
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