NZ should stand its ground over Iran issue: academic
WESTERN democracies face ‘‘great uncertainty’’ after the United States’ withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement, but New Zealand should stand its ground and take a strategic approach, a University of Otago academic says.
Withdrawing from the agreement was ‘‘a profound strategic misjudgement’’ by US President Donald Trump, Prof Robert Patman said yesterday.
‘‘There’s great uncertainty, there’s no doubt about that,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a reminder for countries like New Zealand that we have a completely different world view,’’ Prof Patman said.
‘‘It’s very important that we’re prepared to stick up for things that are our core values.’’
Prof Patman, a specialist in international relations at the Otago politics department, said New Zealand, as a small country, had always been a strong supporter of the United Nations.
It was timely Foreign Minister Winston Peters had also just announced a big funding boost for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and in Pacific aid funding.
The US move on Iran showed New Zealand ultimately had to take a more active networking diplomatic approach, working closely with other likeminded countries, and not simply endorsing every United States decision, Prof Patman said.
Mr Trump seemed to believe the US could operate alone and impose its will at times, but most international issues were simply too big for any one nation to solve alone.
Asked if New Zealand could be caught in the crossfire if the US imposed sanctions on companies in other countries trading with Iran, Prof Patman said there was some risk, but ‘‘that risk is spread at the moment’’, being shared among many other firms and countries, including in the EU.
In announcing the US withdrawal from the agreement, Mr Trump had spoken about it almost as if it was simply an agreement between the US and Iran, but the agreement actually also involved key other parties, the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and Germany, as well as the European Union, he said.
The decision was ‘‘another slap in the face’’ for EU nations, after a US announcement last year that it would withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Prof Patman said.
The US move was also ‘‘bolstering’’ authoritarian forces in Iran.
Prof Patman said New Zealand and other Western countries were likely to pursue a ‘‘two track’’ approach with the US, wanting ‘‘good relations’’ on the one hand, but also continuing to develop multilateral agreements, rather than simply agreeing with every United States foreign policy decision.
Just as the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement was continuing with New Zealand and without the US, the same had been true for the Paris climate agreement.
EU Nations, Russia and China could well wish to continue the nuclear agreement with Iran, he said.