Divide emerges between Micheál and Simon over response to US bombing of Iran
A divide has emerged between Micheál Martin and Simon Harris on the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, with the Taoiseach failing to back his Foreign Affairs Minister – who yesterday said 'there are international laws that say you shouldn't do this.
Over the weekend, US president Donald Trump confirmed the strikes had caused 'monumental damage', adding in a social media post: 'Obliteration is an accurate term.'
The US attacked three key Iranian nuclear facilities early on Sunday, local time.
Speaking in Brussels yesterday ahead of a meeting of the European Foreign Affairs Council, Minister Harris said of the ongoing dangers in the region and the attacks by the US over the weekend: 'I'm very clear in relation to international law around attacks on nuclear installations. Over the weekend, US president Donald Trump confirmed the strikes had caused 'monumental damage', adding in a social media post: 'Obliteration is an accurate term.' Pic: Getty
There are international laws that say you shouldn't do this. 'I'm also very clear…that actually the actions of the United States added a significant level of danger to an already volatile situation. So it was a very unhelpful intervention.'
He added: 'While there will be, I'm sure, different views and different perspectives, the reality is… to make progress in relation to this, to stop an already tinderbox-type situation getting even worse, is to get back to a negotiated situation.' Referring to the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, he continued: 'It has added a huge layer of extra volatility and danger.
'But what we now need to see is no further escalation of measures, and that really has to be where the focus of the European Union has to be on.'
Speaking before Iran launched its own strikes against a US airbase in Qatar yesterday, Mr Harris said that there was a 'real risk' of the conflict between Iran and Israel 'spilling over and broadening, and all control of it being lost'. Minister Harris said of the ongoing dangers in the region and the attacks by the US over the weekend: 'I'm very clear in relation to international law around attacks on nuclear installations. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos
He added: 'This is an important point to remember that while we've seen in the past, you know, the nuclear deal with Iran and the likes that was imperfect, it certainly yielded much more in terms of any level of military aggression.
The only way forward in relation to this situation will be a diplomatic negotiation solution. 'Nobody in the European Union wants to see Iran with a nuclear weapon, but we know the way to best keep people safe in the world, to best ensure that never happens in relation to Iran, is through a negotiated settlement.'
However, the Taoiseach declined to back up the comments made by the Tánaiste when queried on the matter later in the day. Asked by Extra.ie if he agreed with the Tánaiste's comments, Mr Martin said: 'Ireland is multi-lateralist.
We believe in international rules-based order, and in that sense, we would have preferred the dialogue and diplomacy in this in relation to the nuclear issue in Iran [had continued]. 'And this has been an issue for quite a number of decades now.' Mr Martin said: 'Ireland is multi-lateralist. Pic: Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ie
He continued: 'Iran has been a malign actor in the Middle East for quite some time. 'It even got involved in the Ukraine war by providing drones and so forth. But in particular, its support of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, its declaration of its position of destroying Israel, openly declared, makes for a very complex scenario in the Middle East.
'And the issue around Iran disavowing its intentions to have nuclear weapons or to build a nuclear weapon is something that has bedevilled international diplomacy for quite a long time.'
The Taoiseach said that 'it's our view that those efforts should have been exhausted with Iran and the international community', adding: 'What is required now is a complete de-escalation, an ending of the war.'
Pressed by Extra.ie whether or not he believed the US had broken international law, as suggested by the Foreign Affairs Minister earlier in the day, he would only say: 'I've given my position in relation to that.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
16 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Oil and gas prices tumble following Israel-Iran ceasefire
Oil prices hit their lowest in two weeks on Tuesday after Israel agreed to the US president Donald Trump's proposal for a ceasefire with Iran. Brent crude futures were down $3.82, or 5.3%, at $67.66 (€58.77) a barrel on Tuesday morning GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell $3.75, or 5.5%, to $64.76 per barrel. Israel has agreed to Mr Trump's proposal for a ceasefire with Iran after it achieved its goal of removing Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile threat, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement posted by his office on Tuesday. Mr Trump had announced on Monday that Israel and Iran had fully agreed to a ceasefire, adding Iran would begin the ceasefire immediately, followed by Israel after 12 hours. If both sides maintain peace, the war will officially end after 24 hours, concluding a 12-day conflict. Iran is Opec's third-largest crude producer, and the easing of tensions would allow it to export more oil and prevent supply disruptions, a major factor in oil prices jumping in recent days. Both the oil contracts settled over 7% lower in the previous session after rallying to five-month highs after the US attacked Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend, stoking fears of a broadening in the Israel-Iran conflict. Between 18 and 19 million barrels of crude oil and fuels pass through the Strait of Hormuz daily. File picture: AP /Kamran Jebreil The direct US involvement in the war had also focused investors squarely on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow and vital waterway between Iran and Oman, through which between 18 and 19 million barrels per day of crude oil and fuels flow, nearly a fifth of the world's consumption. Concerns were growing any disruption to maritime activity through the strait would catapult prices, possibly into three-digit territory. In the gas markets, Dutch and British wholesale front-month gas prices fell more than 10% on Tuesday morning on news of the ceasefire news, removing the risk premium the market had priced in for potential oil and gas supply disruptions. The benchmark Dutch front-month contract at the TTF hub fell by €4.61 to €36.63 per megawatt hour (MWh). The contract is trading at its lowest level since June 12, the day before the first Israeli strikes on Iran. Tuesday's drop is all down to the news Israel agreed to US president Donald Trump's proposal for a ceasefire with Iran, a trader said. "At the open today we have seen an incredible sigh of relief, with more than 10% being eroded from the price levels," consultancy Auxilione wrote on its daily market report. Still, any breach to the ceasefire by any party would likely immediately inject concerns back into the market, they cautioned. Israel has said Iran has already violated the ceasefire and that it would respond. Gas prices had been trading at 11-week highs before over concerns the hostilities could lead to a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, locking in around 20% of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply. Reuters Read More Israel and Iran continue to exchange fire despite Trump's ceasefire declaration
Irish Times
26 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Iran conflict could spark fuel price rises but it will not hit Irish supplies
Homes, businesses and motorists could face higher fuel prices as a consequence of the conflict in Iran , but not a threat to supplies, Irish oil suppliers believe. Recent Israeli and US attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities have sparked fears for oil and gas supplies, and raised the risk that the Islamic Republic will shut or block the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane for the Middle East's producers. Any blockade of the strait would be a 'worst-case scenario', according to Kevin McPartland, chief executive of industry body Fuels for Ireland, but he added that this would not hit supplies to the country. However, the conflict continues to drive prices up, he said. Both petrol and diesel are up 10 cent a litre, while home heating oil has risen 7-8 cent since Israel first launched its attacks on Iran. READ MORE 'And that's not factoring in America's intervention over the weekend,' Mr McPartland said. Oil prices regained some ground early on Tuesday after Israel warned of new missile fire from Iran and pledged to retaliate, threatening a ceasefire announced just hours earlier by US President Donald Trump . Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, fell as much as 5.6 per cent to $67.50 on Tuesday morning after Mr Trump said that the regional rivals had agreed to a ceasefire, allaying fears that the conflict would restrict global oil supply. But prices bounced after Israel said it would 'respond forcefully' to what it called a violation of the ceasefire, leaving Brent down just 2.4 per cent at $69.76 a barrel in London. There are time lags between global market increases and what motorists and consumers pay for fuel. Mr McPartland's organisation represents suppliers including Circle K, Maxol and Applegreen, along with Whitegate Oil Refinery. He explained that these businesses, which meet around half of Irish energy needs, can draw on multiple sources for their products, so do not depend solely on a single region. 'So there is no need for anyone to be panic buying,' he said. But the conflict in Iran threatens to continue pushing up globally with the result that oil will cost more irrespective of where it is produced. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's busiest shipping channels, with around 20 per cent of global oil production flowing through the waterway each day. Iran controls its northern side. Analysts at investment bank Goldman Sachs calculated that a closure of the Strait of Hormuz could drive prices to $110 a-barrel. Mr McPartland said suppliers here would not gain from any price rises that the conflict causes. 'The people that benefit are the traders,' he said. The Government also gains as its tax take from price increases on fuel, which is subject to 23 per cent VAT, one of the highest rates in Europe. AA figures show that the State gets more than 50 per cent of what drivers pay for petrol and diesel. 'We have been calling on the Minister for Finance to establish an expert group to review the taxation of fuel,' Mr McPartland said. The prospect of businesses and families paying 'more and more' for oil and gas makes this even more urgent. Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance, has agreed to meet Fuels for Ireland, he added.
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Ayatollah can still kill MILLIONS with dirty bombs – only ousting him will bring peace, exiled Iran prince warns West
IRAN'S brutal regime could kill tens of millions of people by smuggling nuclear material and unleashing it on Europe, the rogue nation's exiled prince told The Sun. Reza Pahlavi warned while the US and Israel have eliminated the "immediate threat" of its atomic ambitions, barbaric leaders could still acquire a dirty bomb. 10 Missiles fired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps towards Israel Credit: Reuters 10 Pahlavi has called for Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei to step down Credit: AP 10 Exiled Iranian prince Reza Pahlavi speaks to The Sun's Katie Davis in Paris Credit: Katie Davis - The Sun It comes as Donald Trump announced a But just hours after revealing the peace deal it appears on the brink of collapse as Iran has been accused of firing a fresh barrage of missiles towards Israel. Defence minister Israel Katz warned he has ordered Israel's military to "forcefully respond" - threatening to leave the hours-old ceasefire pact in tatters. Tehran had on Sunday vowed hellish revenge after the US president pulled the trigger on striking nuke sites after nine days of Israel and Iran trading blows. More on Iran The Ayatollah gave the green light to blitz a US base in Qatar with missiles - which He had earlier hailed Operation Midnight Hammer as a "bullseye" that caused "monumental damage" to critical nuke sites in Iran. But Speaking to The Sun at an undisclosed location in Paris just hours before the ceasefire, he said: "Terrorism has many means of hurting big time. Nobody anticipated 9/11. It was a terrorist attack. Most read in The Sun "What keeps people not to worry about the fact that the call of these terrorist networks of sleeper cells could smuggle in a few grams of enriched plutonium, throw it in a lake in Europe, and instantaneously kill tens of millions of people who will be radioactively attacked. "You don't need a missile or warhead for that. Trump says 'total' ceasefire between Iran and Israel agreed and is set to start in HOURS after Tehran missile strike "We have at least eliminated the imminent threat of the regime. Does that mean that the regime still doesn't have the capability to acquire nuclear weapons or a dirty bomb by purchasing it from the North Koreans? "It doesn't eliminate that, that's the entire point." Pahlavi, whose family was forced to leave Iran after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, warned unless the Islamist regime is toppled, the threat of nuclear material being weaponised looms large. He added: "The immediate imminent threat of nuclear facilities has been neutralised and may have caused a lot of delay to the regime. "But that doesn't mean you have eliminated the problem altogether. The only way to ensure that the danger is completely eliminated is in direct correlation with this regime "This regime cannot be trusted. This regime in its attitude will perhaps become even more virulent if given a chance even though it's been severely weakened." Trump himself alluded to regime change in a post on Truth Social on Sunday night as he called on the world to "Make Iran Great Again" in a nod to his notorious MAGA slogan. The US president said: "If the current Iranian regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a regime change? MIGA!". Pahlavi - who has been advocating for regime change for decades - announced on Monday he is offering to lead a transitional government to make Iran a democratic, secular country. 10 Pahlavi told The Sun's Katie Davis that the world will not be safe until Iran's regime has been toppled Credit: Katie Davis - The Sun 10 The self-styled crown prince has been trying to rally support for the restoration of his deposed dynasty. And he said he's ready and waiting to speak directly to Trump. "I think that MAGA will only work if we have MIGA," Pahlavi argued. "I haven't had an opportunity yet to talk directly with the president. I hope this opportunity presents itself. "The important thing and the message I would have for President Trump and world leaders at this point is to recognise that this is a golden opportunity now. "Whatever it is that satisfies your concern may have been realised, but the ultimate guarantee of peace and stability is for this regime to no longer be there. "Not because your foreign policy calls for regime change, but because the Iranian people have been asking for it for years. "And the only obstacle between them providing the world with an option of stability and peace has been this regime. 10 Satellite view shows Fordow in Iran after the US struck the underground nuclear facility Credit: Reuters 10 Supporters of regime change in Iran hold a rally in California outside the Wilshire Federal Building Credit: Getty 10 Pahlavi speaks at a press conference in Paris on Monday Credit: AP "Now that it's been weakened, now that it is collapsing, now that all the elements that the regime have utilised to repress its own say, okay, good, now we have a more equal playing field. "And hopefully the world this time will be wise enough to say, let's not throw this regime a lifeline. This is time to put an end to it. Not by their means." Pahlavi demanded Khamenei step down and said in a direct message to the ruler: "If you do, you'll receive a fair trial and due process of law." He appealed to world leaders to help Iran's people force out the Ayatollah's religious dictatorship - and presented himself as an option to "lead my compatriots down this road of peace". Pahlavi insisted that if the regime - which has had its claws in Iran for 46 years - is ousted it will benefit not just its heavily-repressed people, but the entire world. He said: "When I look at the potential that Iran has in terms of, first of all, we have many resources, both natural and human resources. "When I'm thinking of the potential of Iran's economic revival, from high tech to so many other areas, from tourism to refurbishing our existing infrastructure, the sky is the limit. "Iran is the greatest untapped reserve in terms of foreign investment that will help us rebuild the country, but the opportunities that are created, none of which we can do under the circumstances. 10 "A very corrupt mafia-like regime that nobody wants to do business with. "But as soon as that element is in place, it opens the door. It opens the floodgates for investment. That's the quickest way to address the immediate need of society." Pahlavi outlined a plan for a move towards "stability, freedom and justice" - and insisted he is not seeking "political power" and promised to not "repeat the mistakes made in other failed transitions." He announced he is establishing a "channel for military, security, and police personnel to reach out directly to me, my team, and our expanding operation." Pahlavi said: "As soon as we redress the situation and Iran is back on the standards of economic practice recognised, this is part of our process of dealing with that. "Not just the liberalisation of Iran, but also a plan for economic recovery. The two go hand in glove. "We are basically pushing these two formulas, the immediate first 100 days, which is critical, the short-term phase, and ultimately what people can see. "There's a roadmap that they can tangibly feel and understand its components. "That's part of our discourse and presentation to the nation and of course for the world to see." 10 Iranian short-range missile (Tondar) is test-launched during war games in Qom Credit: AFP Who was the Shah? By Annabel Bate, Foreign News Reporter THE last Shah of Iran was Mohammad Reza Pahlav i. He ruled from 1941 to 1979, having succeeded his dad Reza Shah. Mohammad Reza had a pro-Western foreign policy and encouraged economic development in the nation. What led to his downfall initially however was 1963 The White Revolution - a series of social, political and economic reforms that Mohammad Reza initiated. This looked to both modernise and westernise Iran. But the reforms were perceived as controversial and led to some resistance from various religious and political factions. On February 11, 1979, Iran's army declared its neutrality, paving the way for the fall of US-backed Shah Mohammad Reza. He died in exile in Egypt in 1980.
