‘Extraordinarily dangerous & volatile time' travel alert as Irish told to avoid Israel & Iran amid all-out war fears
IRISH people are being urged not to travel to Israel or Iran as the Middle East descends into all-out war.
It comes as the Department of Foreign Affairs has offered assistance to 17 Irish citizens currently living in
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Simon Harris urged all Irish citizens not to travel to Israel or Iran
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Israel attacked the Iranian capital, Tehran
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The Department of Foreign Affairs has reached out to 17 Irish citizens who are residing in the capital
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Following a series of rocket attacks on Iran, leaders in Tehran have promised that the 'gates of hell' will open for
Foreign Affairs Minister
He said: 'The very clear travel advice from
'We already had such travel advice in place in relation to
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READ MORE ON ISRAEL-IRAN WAR
'We are keeping in very close contact with our diplomatic teams on the ground in Iran and Israel but I would ask all Irish citizens to heed that new
'This is an extraordinarily dangerous and volatile time and I urge all Irish citizens to heed that advice.'
There are currently 17 Irish people living in Tehran with the Department of Foreign Affairs reaching out to them today to offer them assistance.
Taoiseach
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The
Speaking today, the Taoiseach urged Iran and Israel to step back from the brink and avoid escalation.
Unprecedented vid shows Israeli commandos directing drone strikes from on ground INSIDE Iran to blow up missile bases
He said: 'I am deeply concerned by the airstrikes on Iran.
'I call on all in the
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'The region and the world need stability. Diplomacy must be the only way forward.'
SOLIDARITY FOR PALESTINIANS
Meanwhile, Irish bishops have called for arms supplies to Israel to be 'cut off' and urged parishioners to lobby their local politicians.
The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference said that during the month of June, all parishes on the island of Ireland are being asked to express their solidarity with the suffering of
It said: 'In Gaza people are starving and adequate aid is being denied; it seems clear that
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'The evidence points to a staged strategy of ethnic cleansing aimed at removing the Palestinian people from their homes and their homeland."
Israel's 20-month military campaign in Gaza has killed nearly 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.
The military operation has
A two-and-a-half-month blockade imposed by Israel when it ended a ceasefire with Hamas have raised fears of famine and a new Israeli and US-backed aid system has been marred by chaos and violence.
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'OUTRAGEOUS TRAGEDY FOR HUMANITY'
The Irish bishops said: 'What is happening in Gaza – and the West Bank – is the death of tens of thousands of non-combatants, many of them women and children.
'This is unconscionable and disproportionate. It is immoral for world leaders to stand by inactively in the face of this outrageous tragedy for humanity.'
The bishops urged people to lobby their political representatives, support humanitarian aid and to pray for the conflict to end.
Israel launched its military operation in Gaza after
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The militants still hold 55 hostages — less than half of them believed to be alive — after more than half the captives were released during ceasefires or other deals.
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The Journal
2 hours ago
- The Journal
Israel and Iran exchange fire overnight with explosions heard over Tel Aviv
IRAN STRUCK ISRAEL with barrages of missiles overnight after a massive onslaught targeted the Islamic republic's nuclear and military facilities, and killed several top generals. Air raid sirens and explosions rang out across Israel overnight, with its military calling on residents to take refuge in bomb shelters this morning. The Israeli military said dozens of missiles – some intercepted – had been fired in the latest salvos from Iran. Smoke was billowing above skyscrapers in downtown Tel Aviv as Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it had attacked dozens of targets in Israel. Israel's firefighting service said its teams were responding to the aftermath of Iranian missile strikes, including working to rescue people trapped in a high-rise building. Rescuers said 34 people had been wounded in the Gush Dan area, while emergency services said two people were killed overnight. 'Among the casualties: a woman around 60 was rescued without signs of life, a man around 45 was evacuated in critical condition… and was later pronounced dead,' the Magen David Adom said in a statement, adding that 19 others were wounded. Resident Chen Gabizon told AFP he ran to an underground shelter after receiving an alert notification. 'After a few minutes, we just heard a very big explosion, everything was shaking, smoke, dust, everything was all over the place,' he said. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said its air force targeted Iran's air defences with a wave of strikes in the Tehran area overnight. 'Overnight, the IAF struck dozens of targets, including surface-to-air missile infrastructure, as part of the effort to damage the Iranian regime's aerial defence capabilities in the area of Tehran,' the military said in a statement. 'For the first time since the beginning of the war, over 1,500 kms from Israeli territory, the IAF (Israeli military) struck defence arrays in the area of Tehran.' In Iran's capital Tehran this morning, fire and heavy smoke billowed from Mehrabad airport, an AFP journalist said, as local media reported a blast in the area. Iran said earlier it had activated its air-defence system and explosions could be heard across the capital. Advertisement Dozens of people took to the streets of Tehran overnight to cheer their country's military response, with some waving national flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans. Iran's ambassador to the UN said Friday that 78 people had been killed and 320 wounded in the first wave of strikes by Israel. After a day of back-and-forth bombardments, UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the two nations to cease fire. 'Enough escalation. Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail,' he wrote on X late Friday. Calls for dialogue US officials said they were helping Israel defend against the missile attacks, even as Washington insisted it had nothing to do with Israel's strikes on Iran. US President Donald Trump agreed on a call with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer that 'dialogue and diplomacy' were needed to calm the crisis, Starmer's office said. US officials said Trump also spoke with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, without elaborating. Iran's missile salvo came hours after Israel said its widespread air raids had killed several top Iranian generals, including most of the senior leadership of the Revolutionary Guards' air force. It had launched several rounds of strikes that hit about 200 targets including nuclear facilities and air bases. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to bring Israel 'to ruin' during a televised address. In Israel, Netanyahu issued a statement calling on the Iranian public to unite against their own government. But he also warned more attacks were coming. 'In the past 24 hours, we have taken out top military commanders, senior nuclear scientists, the Islamic regime's most significant enrichment facility and a large portion of its ballistic missile arsenal,' Netanyahu said. While stressing that it was not involved in the Israeli attacks, the United States warned Iran not to attack its personnel or interests. Tehran nevertheless said Washington would be 'responsible for consequences'. Commanders killed The strikes killed Iran's highest-ranking military officer, armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, Iranian media reported. Khamenei swiftly appointed new commanders to replace those killed. Read Next Related Reads Netanyahu warns of 'several waves' of Israeli attacks as Iran threatens 'powerful response' Irish citizens are now advised against travel to Israel Shadow war: Iran's nuclear programme and Israel's attempts to destroy it 'The senior chain of command of the air force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had assembled in an underground command centre to prepare for an attack on the State of Israel,' the Israeli military said, adding that its attacks had killed most of them. Iran confirmed that the Guards' aerospace commander had been killed, along with 'a group of brave and dedicated fighters'. AFP images showed a gaping hole in the side of a Tehran residential building that appeared to have sustained a targeted strike. Tasnim news agency said six nuclear scientists were among the dead. Oil prices surged while stocks sank on the Israeli strikes. Radiation 'unchanged' in Natanz area The conflict raised questions as to whether Sunday's sixth round of talks planned between the US and Iran to seek a deal on Iran's nuclear programme would go ahead in Oman. After the first wave of strikes on Friday, Trump urged Iran to 'make a deal', adding that Washington was 'hoping to get back to the negotiating table'. Iran confirmed that above-ground sections of the Natanz enrichment plant had been destroyed, but the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said radiation levels outside the site 'remained unchanged'. 'Most of the damage is on the surface level,' said the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran's spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi. Iran said there was only limited damage to the Fordo and Isfahan nuclear sites. The United States and other Western governments have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, an ambition it has consistently denied. Netanyahu said Israeli intelligence had concluded that Iran was approaching the 'point of no return' on its nuclear programme. Israel had called for global action after the IAEA accused Iran on Thursday of non-compliance with its obligations. Iran currently enriches uranium to 60%, far above the 3.67% limit set by a largely moribund 2015 agreement with major powers, but still short of the 90% threshold needed for a nuclear warhead. With reporting from © AFP 2025 Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Yobs hurl petrol bombs, fireworks and bottles at cops in FIFTH night of riots as chaos spreads to new town
MASKED yobs hurled petrol bombs and fireworks at cops for a fifth night in Northern Ireland, in what has been dubbed a "week of shame" for the region. Cops battled another night of violence as thugs continued to cause widespread devastation after the chaos began on Monday. Advertisement 4 A rioter walks past burning flames after chaos in Northern Ireland Credit: Getty 4 Riot police were out in force but were met by a barrage of petrol bombs and fireworks Credit: Getty 4 Riot police officers walk near a fire during the fourth night of unrest following a protest over an alleged sexual assault on a local teenage girl Credit: Reuters The unrest began on Monday in Ballymena over the alleged sexual assault of a girl in the town and the subsequent arrest of two 14-year-old boys. But the focus of the violence and unrest has since shifted to Portadown. One officer was directly in the impact of a petrol bomb that landed behind a line of police vehicles during a sustained standoff with those participating in the unrest yesterday. Fireworks, masonry, and bottles were among other items thrown at riot police deployed in the town. Advertisement Read More in UK News Shortly before midnight cops used a water cannon on the crowd in an effort to disperse those gathered on West Street into other areas. The force used the water cannon again at around 12.30am on Saturday. Incidents have also occurred in other towns - Larne Leisure Centre was set on fire on Wednesday, while a man, woman, and four children escaped an arson attack on a house in Coleraine in the early hours of Friday. Elsewhere on Friday, there were reports of disruption and damage to public property as riot police responded to another protest in the Tullyally area of Londonderry. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Exclusive Breaking It came after a senior officer said there would be a "scaled-up" policing presence across Northern Ireland in anticipation of further disorder over the weekend. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the mobilisation, which would include officers sent over from Scotland, was "to reassure our communities and protect our streets". Violence originally erupted on Monday, stemming from an initially peaceful gathering to support a girl and her family after an alleged sexual assault. Sick moment vile yob shouts 'f*** foreigners' while setting family's home on FIRE in 'racist' riot carnage Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court charged with attempted rape on Monday. Advertisement A third man, 28, was also arrested over the alleged sexual assault. The boys confirmed their names - which cannot be reported - and their ages through a Romanian interpreter at Coleraine Magistrates' Court. But within hours of their court appearance, disorder broke out in Co Antrim. Families in the town of Ballymena have been forced to flee their homes as the riots continue. Advertisement Crowds set fire to piles of furniture in the middle of the streets, homes were set alight, and multiple cars went up in flames. Harrowing photos from the last two nights show the charred remains of residents' property. Footage showed masked and hooded rioters lobbing petrol bombs, fireworks and bricks at cops trying to calm the unrest on Tuesday. Officers fired baton rounds and water cannon in a desperate bid to keep the mobs at bay. Advertisement Why the two 14-year-old boys charged with attempted rape can't be named The two teenagers charged with attempted rape appeared at Coleraine Magistrates' Court on Monday. The defendants cannot be named due to their ages. Article 22(2) of the 1998 Order restricts press and media reporting of proceedings in youth courts. It states that, where a child is concerned in any criminal proceedings in a youth court or on appeal from a youth court, no report revealing the name, address or school of any child, including anything likely to lead to the identification of the child, shall be published. Press and media are also restricted from publishing a picture of any child concerned, except where the court or the Department of Justice, if satisfied that it is in the interests of justice to do so, makes an order dispensing with these prohibitions. 4 Larne Leisure Centre came under attack and was set on fire earlier this week Credit: X / @TheNorfolkLion
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Taoiseach warns of online misinformation fuelling violence
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