Luxon says he 'misspoke' on Iran; 'Words matter a great deal' says Hipkins

Tuesday, 3 March 2026

US President Donald Trump says the “big wave” in the conflict has yet to come. He said he doesn’t rule out boots on the ground.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed he misspoke when he said New Zealand would support “any action” to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon on Monday.

“We have long supported action to make sure that Iran doesn’t get its hands on nuclear weapons, as I said yesterday,” he said Tuesday morning.

“We’ve long supported actions to make sure it can’t continue to sponsor state terrorism. And obviously long supported action with respect to its repression of its people. But obviously not any action,” he clarified.

Speaking at his post Cabinet press conference on Monday, Luxon said: “as New Zealand we have had a long-standing commitment under successive governments that any actions that stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon is a good thing.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed he misspoke when he said New Zealand would support “any action” to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon on Monday.

Reporters were quick to query that comment, asking how far the prime minister was prepared to go: Would he support the US and Israel in carpet bombing the country to stop Iran from getting the bomb?

He has since cleared that up - although not before stumbling one more time.

“Well, again, what we’re looking at are actions that actually deliver on the three things that we have long supported as New Zealand. And as I said, that is any action that means that Iran doesn’t get its hands on a nuclear weapon,” he said, before hastily adding: “but it’s not at any cost, obviously.”

Smoke engulfs a street after a strike in Tehran.

“The example was raised to me about carpet bombing, I mean obviously that is not what we want to see,” he said.

The clarification came after Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said on Monday he was “shocked” by the prime minister’s suggestion New Zealand would support “any action”.

Hipkins said on Tuesday he was glad the prime minister had clarified things.

“Words matter … and in this particular instance, words matter a great deal. Adherence to international law shouldn't be a matter of discretion. It should be something that we expect all countries to adhere to.”

Winston Peters said it was a decision for New Zealanders, not just politicians.

But speaking from Argentina, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the “tit for tat political argument” was unhelpful, and minimised the tragedy for so many people.

“We've all got views, but this is a view I'd like to have international, highly trained, qualified legal minds decide, and not have a whole lot of people unqualified, rushing and giving their view,” he said of New Zealand’s position on the US and Israeli strikes.

The US and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran on Saturday, that continues.

“I'm prepared to wait [for] what their pronouncement is as to its legality. I think it's a wise precaution for us to take.”

Luxon also criticised people who called the strikes illegal.

“I have seen a number of commentators talk about the legality of those actions. I don't know how anybody would understand, without having access to the information the Israelis or the US has, that they would be able to make that assumption.

“I can't make bold assumptions. I have to live with evidence and facts, and the facts that I have is that I haven't seen that information and therefore we cannot jump to a conclusion one way or another,” he said.

Both Luxon and Peters confirmed New Zealand had no plans to get involved, and hadn’t been asked.

“That'd be decision for the New Zealand people to make, not just parliamentarians, but for all of us to make. And I'm saying to you, the answer is no, we won't be engaged,” Peters said.