Winston Peters: Foreign Minister says a "proper analysis" is needed to judge Iranian nuclear capabilities

Foreign Minister Winston Peters joined Mike Hosking this morning to discuss the developing situation in Iran.

The Foreign Minister said he wants to “get a proper analysis” before discussing how effective Operation Midnight Hammer was at destroying Iranian nuclear facilities. 

“One of the first victims of war is truth, and boy, have we seen it.”  

The Foreign Minister also discussed the Kiwis stuck in the regions, and that it is “New Zealand character” to bring them home safely.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
As far as we're consumed, we're getting a hurk into

(00:02):
the region so as to be available to move people
when the airspace allows. The Foreign Minister Winston peters with us,
Winston Morning, good morning. Do you reckon RAN's nuclear capable
or close to it?

Speaker 2 (00:13):
All the signs pointed to getting very close to it?

Speaker 1 (00:16):
So you believe it? Because Tulsa Gabbard was telling us
just the other day she didn't. Then the IAEA is
suggesting that, I don't think so, are.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
They well a level of enrichment which the cap wavy
on every other negotiative purpose that they gave. I mean
some facts are facts?

Speaker 1 (00:35):
Your sense of the claims of success? What do you reckon?

Speaker 2 (00:39):
How do you mean?

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Well, did they blow up the nuclear capability or not?

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Oh? Look, at this point in time, we'd be very
wise to keep our counsel and find out the facts,
get a proper analysis, and ensure that what we are
talking about is true, because one of the worst things
in the first victims of war is truth. And boy
we've seen it now with every comment and every excellent
expert giving the abuse perverse they are and not in

(01:07):
any way right to what's happening on the ground. So yeah,
I think it real wise to us to keep our
counsel and find out what's going on.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Do you see regime regime change in a run?

Speaker 2 (01:17):
I think the problem is that when you've got the
abcluent destruction of freedom in the society, including from females
in the society right across the whole Gamber for the
last forty years, the chance of alternative government stepping up
seriously restricted. That's the difficulty. I do. I think the majority,
if you have want regime changees I do. I think

(01:39):
they're going to give It's very very difficult see it happening.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Now here's a text. See what you say, Mike, if
you choose to live in Iran or Israel, why should
the government have to send the cavalry to rescue you.
What do you say to that?

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Well, you can say that, Mike, and we have been
given them months in warning and people will carry on
as before. But it's a new Zealand character. In Zealand way,
I mean, we tell people to get out of circumstances,
some done bobb it and still do it. In the
last moment, we've just gone from forty six people we
thought we had in a round to now ninety eight
and we're working on now. So the question is, well,

(02:11):
it's a basier way to help our friends, no, no, how,
and this advice they might be and we'll be helping
a lot of other countries as well who are in
a crisis circumstances well have nobody else to help. We're
a good international citizen, we've got the resources, so let's
do what we've always done.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Appreciate time very much, Winston Peter's Foreign Minister. For more
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