Britain asked New Zealand whether it could help patrol the Strait of Hormuz following the seizure of oil tankers by Iran, but we didn’t have any boats to send, the Minister of Defence says.
Australia’s Government on Wednesday announced it was joining a United States-led effort to protect shipping lanes in the waters between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Tensions in the region rose after Iran in July seized two oil tankers and Australia has been mulling whether to join an international patrol effort for weeks.
New Zealand’s Defence Minister, Ron Mark, says while no formal request for assistance was made, Britain approached New Zealand about whether it had any capacity to help.
“I’ve said right now both of my frigates are in Canada undergoing refit. We don’t actually have any capabilities available,” Mark told reporters.
“The bottom line that I can barely struggle to keep two P3s [surveillance aircraft] flying … I just don’t see that we have any spare capability right now to engage in that kind of a mission.”
He said if we did have the capacity, Cabinet would have to discuss the matter and that no official request had been put in.
“Everything else is hypothetical beyond that point,” Mark said.
The Minister said he had not been given a heads-up about Australia’s decision, but understood a decision was pending.