Iran War: NZ gets the US call to shore up the Strait of Hormuz - and wants more information
Friday, 1 May 2026
New Zealand has said neither yes or no to a US proposal to secure the Strait of Hormuz - instead opting to ask for more information.
The Wall Street Journal has reported the Trump administration wants other nations to form an alliance to help reboot traffic in the strait.
The details of the “Maritime Freedom Construct,” were spelled out in an internal State Department cable sent to US embassies, including New Zealand’s.
The cable called on US diplomats to press foreign governments into signing up to a US-led coalition that would share information, coordinate diplomatically and enforce sanctions in the strait, the Wall Street Journal report said.
Read more:
Iran war: PM pushed for stronger support of US strikes, emails released by Winston Peters reveal
Winston Peters exposes Luxon’s Iran misspeak for the amateur hour that it was
Iran war: US-Iran conflict threatens law of high seas that NZ depends on, expert warns
The critical waterway has been effectively blocked since the start of the Iran war, disrupting 20% of global oil supply and inflating oil prices.
New Zealand has stopped short of explicitly supporting the war after Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters talked Prime Minister Christopher Luxon out of this position.
Having stuck to the more neutral line of acknowledging the conflict, New Zealand has expressed support for efforts to bring a lasting end to the war.
This has included signing a joint statement with countries including the UK, France, Germany and Japan, expressing “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.”
The coalition has not yet said what resources - if any - it would consider committing to any efforts, saying it’s a hypothetical question.
The Trump administration’s call makes this question less hypothetical, though Peters’ response issued on Friday morning stressed it’s early days and New Zealand needs more information about the proposal.
“New Zealand has recently received initial and preliminary information on a US proposal to restore and maintain safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
“We are in the process of asking questions and seeking more information about this preliminary proposal. Accordingly, we are not close to a point where the New Zealand Government would be making any decisions about it.”
Peters said New Zealand’s consideration of participating in any mission relating to the Strait of Hormuz was “contingent” on there being a sustainable ceasefire agreement in place.
“Our potential participation would also be a matter for Cabinet consideration at the appropriate future time.”
While seeking more information about the US proposal, Peters said New Zealand was also participating in meetings alongside a broad range of partners to understand the UK and France-led military planning for a potential multinational mission to re-open the Strait of Hormuz.
“Engaging with partners in this context supports New Zealand’s understanding of developments and informs any future advice to Ministers on a potential future contribution to a multinational coalition.”
We continue to seek more information on all of these proposals as they continue to develop.“
Peters was invited to visit Washington DC in early April, where he sat down with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio outlined US progress towards ending the war, while Peters raised the significant negative economic impacts on New Zealand and its Pacific neighbours - and New Zealand’s desire to see dialogue and de-escalation.
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz also came up during that meeting, with Rubio and Peters stressing the crucial importance their respective countries places on principles like freedom of navigation.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital seaway for the global economy, and it is crucial that freedom of navigation be restored,“ Peters said in a statement today.
“For that reason, New Zealand is in ongoing discussions with a range of partners about this important question of fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz.”