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Summarised by Centrist
Iran has accused New Zealand of hypocrisy after the government imposed travel bans on 40 Iranian officials over alleged human rights abuses.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced the sanctions, saying the individuals had “perpetrated human rights abuses in Iran” and pointing to the “brutal killing of thousands of protesters”. He said rights to protest, free expression and access to information had been “ruthlessly violated”.
The bans target senior figures, including Iran’s interior minister, intelligence minister and prosecutor-general. They will be barred from entering or transiting through New Zealand.
Demonstrations in Iran began in late December over economic grievances and have recently been reignited by student protests. New Zealand has closed its embassy in Tehran and continues to advise against travel, citing violent unrest and arrests.
In response, the Iranian Embassy in Wellington rejected the sanctions as “politically motivated” and “based on misinformation”. It accused New Zealand of participating in a pattern of “selective and instrumental use” of human rights against independent states. The embassy said Western countries had for decades enforced US-led sanctions.
It also alleged “blatant double standards”, arguing Western governments were “silent – or even complicit” over Gaza. New Zealand has publicly criticised Israel’s actions there, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon previously saying Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu had “lost the plot”.
US President Donald Trump is considering potential military action if Iran does not curb its nuclear programme.
This marks the fourth tranche of travel bans imposed by New Zealand on Iranian figures since 2022.
