On March 5, New Zealand ordered the deployment of two military aircraft to the Middle East to prepare for the possibility of evacuating citizens from this area amid increasing tensions.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters called on New Zealanders to "hide on the spot" and leave the area if safety conditions permit. He said Wellington will deploy consular staff and two defense forces aircraft to the area to be ready to support civilian evacuation operations when ground conditions permit.
Speaking during a South American tour, Mr. Winston Peters said he could not be sure when and how the evacuation could take place, but the government wants to be prepared if the situation allows. According to information quoted by AFP, C-130 Hercules aircraft will take people out of dangerous areas to a safe country where they can continue their journey home by commercial flight.
Mr. Winston Peters said that more than 3,000 New Zealand citizens registered to live in the Middle East, including 23 in Iran and 62 in Israel. He also left open the possibility that New Zealand would evacuate citizens of other countries if possible. "If they have any reasons related to our flight, we will take them away," he said.
Wellington's move comes as many countries accelerate the evacuation of citizens from the Middle East after US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, sparking a conflict in the region. Neighboring Australia said it has about 115,000 citizens in the Middle East.
The deployment of military aircraft shows that New Zealand is preparing for the worst-case scenario, although the time and actual conditions for the evacuation operation have not yet been determined.
