Defence Minister Judith Collins. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The defence minister has defended the decision to send six defence force personnel to the Middle East to help take out Houthis fighters as they are "essentially holding the world to ransom".
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins confirmed the plan at the first Cabinet meeting for the year.
The deployment, which could run until the end of July, will support the military efforts led by the United States to protect commercial and merchant vessels.
No personnel would be entering Yemen.
The Houthis attacks are disrupting supply lines, and forcing ships to voyage thousands of kilometres further around Africa.
But opposition parties have condemned the government's plan, saying it had "shades of Iraq".
A security analyst also said the US-requested deployment could be interpreted as New Zealand "planting its flag firmly on the side of the Western backers of Israel".
Speaking to Morning Report, Defence Minister Judith Collins denied it showed New Zealand being in support of Israel in regard to the situation in Gaza.
"They are essentially holding the world to ransom" - Defence Minister Judith Collins
She said it was a "very difficult situation", but not what the deployment was about.
"It's about the ability to get our goods to market ... we're talking about unarmed merchant vessels moving through the Red Sea no longer able to do so without being attacked."
Collins said New Zealand had been involved in the Middle East for a "very long time" and it needed to assist where possible to remain a good international partner and the make sure military targets are "taken out".
Houthis had been given a number of serious warnings, Collins said, and its actions were "outrageous".
"They are essentially holding the world to ransom."
New Zealand was part of the world community and would not stand by and allow "pirates to take over our ships or anyone's ships".
Collins said she was not expecting there to be any extension or expansion of the deployment which would end on 31 July.