Trump urges ‘peace and harmony' as Iran hits US base in Qatar
Donald Trump has urged Iran to 'proceed to peace and harmony' after it fired missiles at a US base in Qatar in retaliation for America bombing its nuclear sites.
Qatar's defence ministry said Iran launched seven missiles at the Al Udeid US airbase, with another 12 in a second wave, 11 of which were thwarted.
Its interior ministry said some debris fell in residential areas, but no casualties were recorded.
The US president thanked Iran for giving America notice prior to the missile attack which, he said, made it possible for no lives — both Qatari and American — to be lost.
No casualties were recorded after the Iranian missile attack on Al Udeid air base in Qatar. File picture
'Perhaps Iran can now proceed to peace and harmony in the region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same,' he said in a social media post. In a later post, he added: 'Congratulations world, it's time for peace.'
Iran had issued threats to retaliate against the US after bombers dropped 30,000lb bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel's air war against Tehran. Mr Trump mooted the possibility of the Iranian government being toppled.
Iran, which had been warned by Washington not to retaliate had informed the US via two diplomatic channels hours ahead of the attack, as well as Qatari authorities, a senior regional source told Reuters.
A number of gulf nations closed their air space for a time following the attack on Qatar but they opened again a number of hours later.
New law based on Occupied Territories Bill
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Simon Harris will bring the heads of what will be known as the Israeli Settlements Prohibition of Importation of Goods Bill 2025 to Cabinet on Tuesday.
The Government legislation is based on a similar Occupied Territories Bill, but it will only include a ban on the trade of goods and not services.
The Tánaiste said legal clarity is needed on whether or not it is possible to include services and that he has asked the attorney general to advise on this, however he does not want to see the bill delayed. He said:
We will bring draft legislation because we are not waiting in Ireland, we are not waiting, the children of Gaza have waited far too long.
Mr Harris was speaking while attending a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels where the EU's trade agreement with Israel was discussed.
The proposed legislation will make any import from the Occupied Palestinian Territory an offence under the Customs Act 2015, the main legislation dealing with all customs offences.
The provisions of the Customs Act 2015 with respect to matters including powers of entry, inspection, search, arrest, seizure, and forfeiture of goods will apply to the importation of goods from Israeli settlements in the OPT. In practical terms therefore, the provisions of the bill will be enforced by customs officers.
While foreign ministers did not on take action following the review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the matter will again be discussed when the Taoiseach attends an EU Council later this week.
Micheál Martin said: 'There should be consequences in the context of the Israeli European Union Association Agreement and we will certainly be working with other like-minded countries at the European Union to seek movement on that.'
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RTÉ News
28 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Israel reports waves of Iranian missiles, soon after Trump announced ceasefire
Israel's military said Iran launched waves of missiles, with emergency services reporting three people killed, hours after US President Donald Trump announced a complete ceasefire between Israel and Iran to end a 12-day war. Witnesses said they heard explosions near Tel Aviv and Beersheba in southern Israel. Israel's military said six waves of missiles were launched by Iran and Israel's national ambulance service said three people were killed in Beersheba, the first reported deaths in Israel since Trump announced the ceasefire late last night. A senior White House official said Mr Trump had brokered a ceasefire deal in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel had agreed so long as Iran did not launch further attacks. "On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, 'THE 12 DAY WAR'," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. An Iranian official earlier confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, but the country's foreign minister said there would be no cessation of hostilities unless Israel stopped its attacks. Abbas Araqchi said overnight that if Israel stopped its "illegal aggression" against the Iranian people no later than 4am Tehran time (1.30am Irish time), Iran had no intention of continuing its response afterwards. There have been no reported Israeli attacks on Iran since that time. "The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later," Mr Araqchi added in a post on X. Mr Trump appeared to suggest that Israel and Iran would have some time to complete any missions that are underway, at which point the ceasefire would begin in a staged process. Iran's semi-official SNN news agency reported today that Tehran fired its last round of missiles before the ceasefire came into effect. Israel, joined by the United States on the weekend, has carried out attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, after alleging Tehran was getting close to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran denies ever having a nuclear weapons program but Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that if it wanted to, world leaders "wouldn't be able to stop us". Israel, which is not a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman AL Thani secured Tehran's agreement during a call with Iranian officials, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters today. US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff were in direct and indirect contact with the Iranians, a White House official said. Neither Iran's UN mission nor the Israeli embassy in Washington responded to separate requests for comment from Reuters. Hours earlier, three Israeli officials had signaled Israel was looking to wrap up its campaign in Iran soon and had passed the message on to the United States. Mr Netanyahu had told government ministers whose discussions ended early this morning not to speak publicly, Israel's Channel12 television reported. Markets reacted favourably to the news. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% late last night, suggesting traders expect the U.S. stock market to open with gains today. US crude futures fell in early Asian trading hours to their lowest level in more than a week after Mr Trump said a ceasefire had been agreed, relieving worries of supply disruption in the region. End of fighting? There did not appear to be calm yet in the region. The Israeli military issued two evacuation warnings in less than two hours to residents of areas in the Iranian capital Tehran, one late last night and one early this morning. Israeli Army radio reported early today that alarms were activated in the southern Golan Heights area due to fears of hostile aircraft intrusion. Earlier yesterday, Mr Trump said he would encourage Israel to proceed towards peace after dismissing Iran's attack on an American air base that caused no injuries and thanking Tehran for the early notice of the strikes. He said Iran fired 14 missiles at the US air base, calling it "a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered". Iran's handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can't afford. Tehran appears to have achieved that goal. Iran's attack came after US bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel's air war. Much of Tehran's population of 10 million has fled after days of bombing. The Trump administration maintains that its aim was solely to destroy Iran's nuclear program, not to open a wider war. "Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon," Vice-President JD Vance said in an interview on Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier". "Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it," Mr Vance said. Mr Trump has cited intelligence reports that Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon, without elaborating. However, US intelligence agencies said earlier this year they assessed that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and a source with access to US intelligence reports told Reuters last week that that assessment had not changed. But in a social media post on Sunday, Mr Trump spoke of toppling the hardline clerical rulers who have been Washington's principal foes in the Middle East since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel, however, had made clear that its strikes on Evin prison - a notorious jail for housing political prisoners - and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power. Iran's attack came after US bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel's air war against Iran in a conflict that has entered its 12th day. "We did not assault anyone, and we will never accept being assaulted by anyone," Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement. "We will not submit to anyone's aggression - this is the logic of the Iranian nation." Iran gave advance notice to the US via diplomatic channels hours ahead of the attack, as well as to Qatari authorities. Mr Trump seized on that as a positive sign. "I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured," he wrote on his Truth Social media site. "Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same." He said Iran fired 14 missiles at the air base, calling it "a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered." "I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed and hardly any damage was done," Mr Trump wrote. "Most importantly, they've gotten it all out of their 'system,' and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE," he added. Iran's handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can't afford. The country's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran was ready to respond again in case of further action by the United States, according to a statement posted by the ministry's account on Telegram. The attack strained Iran's relationship with its Arab neighbors: Qatar condemned it, as did Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. "There are deep ties between the two states (Iran and Qatar) and the two nations, but the attack undoubtedly calls for a genuine meeting and a clear stance," Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said at a press conference. Meanwhile, Israel said it has carried out its most extensive wave of attacks on Tehran ever. Targets included a Tehran prison where Iran's leadership holds political opponents, in a renewed demonstration of its willingness to strike beyond its previously stated military and nuclear targets and attack key pillars of Iran's ruling system. Despite Iran's threats to challenge oil shipments from the Gulf, oil prices fell 7% in volatile trading LCOc1, suggesting traders doubted the Islamic Republic would follow through on any action that would disrupt global supplies. Qatar, situated just across the Gulf from Iran, reopened its airspace after a brief suspension, its civil aviation authority said early on Tuesday. Iran's foreign minister met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Tehran sought backing from one of its last major power friends for its next steps. Striking regime targets Israel made clear that its strikes on Evin prison and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power. Iran's IRIB state broadcaster released video showing rescue workers combing the flattened wreckage of a building at the prison, carrying a wounded man on a stretcher. The Mizan news outlet of Iran's judiciary said urgent action was being taken to protect the health and safety of inmates there. Evin has long been Iran's primary prison for political detainees and people accused of espionage, as well as the site of executions that remain strong memories for the opposition. Several high-profile foreign prisoners are also held there. Israel's military said it had also struck Revolutionary Guard command centres responsible for internal security in the Tehran area. The military was "currently striking, with unprecedented force, regime targets and governmental repression bodies in the heart of Tehran," Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. Much of Tehran's population of 10 million has fled after 10 days of bombing.
Irish Independent
29 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Move by Iran to close key trading route for oil could send petrol and diesel prices soaring here
Iran's parliament has endorsed a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global transit chokepoint, in response to US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Iranian state media reported on Sunday. UCC energy expert Dr Paul Deane said even a temporary closure of the vital trade route would send pump prices up. 'Iran has the capability to close the Strait of Hormuz through military action,' he said. 'If this were to happen, even temporarily, it would have a major impact on global oil markets, causing prices to rise both in Ireland and around the world.' Brent crude oil prices rose in the wake of the US bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran, and was trading at around $77 (€67) yesterday, having hit €81 over the weekend. Motorists here have already seen the cost of diesel and petrol rise at the pumps over the past few weeks, after a few months of falling prices. Home-heating oil prices have shot up in recent days, with the cost of 1,000 litres of the fuel now approaching €1,000, according to comparison site Dr Deane said a key factor in where fuel prices would go was what would happen to the Strait of Hormuz and whether the United States would become further involved in the conflict, he wrote on the RTÉ website. The Strait of Hormuz, located in southern Iran, is a narrow corridor of water about 160km long. It serves as the main transit route from the Gulf for around 25pc of the world's oil supply, including exports from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq and Iran. It is considered the world's most important oil gateway. Dr Deane said other important oil transit routes can be circumvented, but there was no meaningful alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for large-scale oil shipments. ADVERTISEMENT He said even a limited escalation in the conflict would 'cause a sharp spike in prices'. But it is unlikely to persist for a long period because the broader global oil landscape is relatively robust. Supply of crude oil is outstripping demand globally, with the move to electric vehicles a factor. Meanwhile, the fuel industry here has defended the surge in prices at the pumps in recent days even though prices were slow to fall earlier in the year when crude prices fell sharply. Kevin McPartlan, of Fuels for Ireland, which represents the major petrol retailers, denied his members were 'ripping off the public' by quickly increasing prices, and failing to drop them when crude had fallen earlier this year. He said profit margins were thin on the sale of petrol and diesel, and what he described as dynamic pricing meant wholesale prices were reflected quickly in what would be charged by retailers. Prices charged by forecourt operators tracked the wholesale price when the ship containing the refined petrol and diesel leaves port, with most fuel coming to Ireland from Wales.
Irish Independent
29 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Nato leaders to show a united front as they hike defence spend to 5pc of GDP following pressure from Donald Trump
Uncertainty of ongoing situation in Middle East puts summit plans at risk The Nato alliance has crafted a summit in The Hague this week to shore itself up by satisfying US president Donald Trump with a big new defence spending goal – but it now risks being dominated by the repercussions of his military strikes on Iran. The two-day gathering, today and tomorrow, is also intended to signal to Russian president Vladimir Putin that Nato is united, despite Mr Trump's previous criticism of the alliance, and is determined to expand and upgrade its defences to deter any attack from Moscow.
