'It's almost impossible to overstate the serious level of danger here' Simon Harris speaks on Israel and Iran ahead of National Economic Dialogue
It comes as the EU Foreign Affairs Council has called an emergency meeting to discuss a reaction to the 'escalating and extremely dangerous' situation between Israel and Iran.
Simon Harris said the EU will have to discuss working together to evacuate its citizens from the region.
He said: 'I think a big focus of that meeting is going to be on working together in the European Union to evacuate European citizens if and when it becomes possible or safe to do so.
'We have a very small number of citizens in Iran. Most of them are long-term residents of Iran.
'We have a larger – but still relatively small number – in Israel at the moment.'
Mr Harris added: 'Obviously, the airspace is closed, and moving across land borders is potentially treacherous, and I think it will be really important, as we have done at an EU level before, that we work together to see if and when it may be safe to make an intervention for any citizen seeking to leave, and how we can collaborate at a European level.'
Speaking to reporters in Dublin, Mr Harris said it was 'almost impossible to overstate the serious level of danger here'.
He added: 'To say the world is on the brink of an extraordinarily destabilising situation in the region would be absolutely a statement of fact, if not an understatement.'
Mr Harris, who is also Ireland's foreign affairs minister, said Irish diplomats have been 'working intensively' in Tel Aviv and Tehran, as well as engaging with European counterparts.
Mr Harris said Ireland and Europe will continue to call for de-escalation. He said Iran had 'consistently been a source of danger in the world', adding that the state should not be able to develop nuclear weapons.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
21 minutes ago
- The Journal
Donegal dad who was based in Boston deported back to Ireland after 15 years in US
A DONEGAL MAN who had lived in Boston for more than 15 years was deported to Ireland over the weekend, less than a month after he was detained by US immigration officials for violating his visa waiver. The 40-year-old man was deported from Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts to Dublin on Friday evening. He is the father of two American-born children, aged nine and ten, and the former owner of a small construction company near Boston. As previously covered by The Journal , the man, who does not wish to be identified, had overstayed his travel visa, but had joined the waiting list for green card applications three years ago . He was arrested last month, and had spent some time in a detention centre run by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a driving-related conviction. The man is now attempting to find a way to 'continue to be a loving father' to his children in the US, according to Boston-based lawyer John Foley. 'His personal nightmare is over,' Foley said. He added that his client 'just wants to move on with his life'. He is gutted knowing the relationship with his children will not be what he wants it to be. Foley said he had pushed for his client's release in the US under 24/7 monitoring with an ankle bracelet. Advertisement 'They just said no,' Foley explained, adding that officials showed no hesitation in denying the request. Foley previously told The Journal that there was 'no flexibility' from US officials in their decision to detain the man, noting that ICE officers had been more willing to compromise in previous years before the Trump administration. 'My biggest frustration is the inability to speak with anyone of substance inside ICE,' Foley said. 'You send emails that are ignored, leave voicemail messages that are never returned and repeatedly go to someone's office all to be ignored. 'This administration is different – this administration is dangerous,' Foley said. The lawyer added that there is a new mentality among law enforcement and immigration officers under 'Trump 2.0'. 'They're intent on instilling fear, and it's working – they're proud of it. I've never seen anything like this before; we're in a whole new era now,' Foley said. Deportation figures under the Trump administration have not yet been made public by ICE, but NBC News has reported that ICE deported 11,000 migrants in February , just over 12,300 in the first four weeks of March , and approximately 17,200 in April . According to Foley, fear of deportation is growing among Irish immigrants and other diasporas in the US. 'It's not just the Irish, it's everybody – I'm getting calls from people I represented 20 years ago who really have nothing to worry about, but they have prior criminal convictions, so they're stressed,' Foley said. He described Trump's immigration and deportation policies as 'un-American.' 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
Extra.ie
30 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
Roy, Mary Lou and me -- Conor Sketches on his favourite stars and unusual fans
His world-class impressions have brought him face-to-face with global sporting icons such as Tiger Woods, José Mourinho and Max Verstappen. But the man behind Conor Sketches says he gets the most joy from channelling Mary Lou McDonald – and her constituency rival Gerry Hutch has also turned out to be a fan. Conor Moore said the Sinn Féin leader is 'the one that I'm loving doing at the minute' and is currently writing her parts for his run of Irish shows in the autumn. Conor Moore. Pic: Brian McEvoy 'Mary Lou is just a brilliant character,' the impressionist told the Irish Mail on Sunday. 'I think she's got a cool voice; she's got that attitude. She's up against the two lads [Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris] all the time and she's definitely one I'm really enjoying.' The Mullingar man added that 'throwing Gerry Hutch into the mix' when he and McDonald went head-to-head in Dublin Central last November 'was fun'. And 'The Monk' has made his appreciation of Moore's work known on no fewer than three occasions. Conor Sketches as Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. Pic: Instagram 'I did some for the election last year and he commented under the first one and said it was brilliant,' the mimic explained. 'Then I did a thing where all the politicians were on First Dates, and he wrote me a message saying it was brilliant. So that was definitely a relief.' The alleged crime boss-turned-wannabe politician acknowledged Moore's work again when he featured in a hilarious St Patrick's Day skit earlier this year, in which The Monk accompanied Micheál Martin to meet Donald Trump in the White House. 'He put up on his social media [saying], 'Give this fella a follow, brilliant.' Then I really knew he really liked it.' While GAA personalities provided much of the 36-year-old's earlier material, Moore has become the go-to impersonator in the ego-filled worlds of golf, Formula 1 and soccer – and it seems it isn't just The Monk who can laugh at himself. Pic:Moore said 'every single one' of the stars he has met – and often lampooned in their presence – has been 'absolutely bang on'. 'It nearly makes your job harder to do, because at the start, you nearly think these people aren't real, so you're just taking the mick out of them,' he said. 'Now you're a bit like, 'Oh, should I do that one? Should I talk about this?', and you think a bit more about it, because you do get that access, and you do meet these people.' However, Moore's aversion to outright cruelty resulted in him retiring his Harry Maguire impression when the Manchester United and England defender became the internet's favourite punching bag. He believes being Irish 'definitely helps' – 'especially when I was in America at the golf clubs and working at the Golf Channel [where he had his own show for three years]'. Conor Moore as Mary Lou McDonald. Pic: Instagram 'People looked at you like, 'You're Irish, you're fun, you're bringing the craic here.' People know you're good for a slag and stuff.' It is rare for someone to ask to be impersonated on the spot, but the biggest star golf has produced was an exception. 'I was only after meeting him 10 seconds earlier. I said, 'How are you Tiger?' And he said, 'Oh hey buddy, do me.' 'I goes [in Woods's voice]: 'The conditions are really tough out there,' and he just turned to me and goes, 'F*** dude, you do sound just like me.'' The pair went on to make an ad together, and more recently, Moore recorded an ad with Roy Keane, whom he calls 'just brilliant fun'. 'He's just such a great laugh when you're on set with him. The Sky ad was easier, because I had met him before [on Sky Sports show The Overlap]. Conor Moore and Roy Keane. Pic: File 'But he's just very funny, and very enjoyable to do stuff with.' Inspired by Après Match's 2001 video Live At The Olympia, Moore began doing impressions in school with his good friend Alan Cashman – 'the only fella that actually enjoyed them' – who he still bounces new material off. Years later, working in sales after a stint in finance in New York, he was photographed contributing to 'a bit of a scuffle' at a GAA match. He said: 'There was a picture of me in the paper – it was none too flattering, but it was harmless – and I did a video on it, taking the mick out of Mourinho, Dunphy, Beckham, all these lads talking about it. I sent it into the WhatsApp group, and one of the boys put it on Facebook, and it gathered legs. 'I quit my job then about two weeks later, and said: 'Right, I'll give this thing a crack. I'll make some videos online and see if I can get a job doing it.' And rang me up about four months after that and gave me a job.' His upcoming, almost-sold-out live tour will be his second, and features on-stage interactions with pre-recorded segments and material adjusted according to what part of the country he is performing in. He plans to do a full Formula 1 tour in future, which he acknowledges could take him 'anywhere' given the sport's global popularity, helped by Netflix docuseries Drive To Survive. Moore says he wasn't even an F1 fan himself before that series, illustrating the endless creative potential of a top impersonator. 'Someone said to me, 'Make hay when the sun shines,' and I'm like, 'I'm hoping it shines now for the next 40 years or whatever.' 'If a new person comes along, you just learn them. In two or three years, I could have another Irish show with completely new people.' But he said interesting characters are harder to come by in football these days. 'They're so well media-trained to give the same stock answers,' he said. 'Where you're getting content is probably Keane and [Gary] Neville and these boys doing podcasts. They're actually just coming out saying whatever. 'In terms of managers and players, it's so hard to find characters in that.'
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
G7 leaders aim for unity, facing escalating wars in Ukraine, Middle East
Leaders from the Group of Seven nations began annual talks on Monday with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East adding to global economic uncertainty, as host Canada tries to avoid a clash with US president Donald Trump . The G7 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US, along with the European Union, are convening in the resort area of Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies until Tuesday. With an escalating Israel-Iran conflict , the summit in Canada is seen as a vital moment to try and restore a semblance of unity among democratic powerhouses. Canada has abandoned any effort to adopt a comprehensive communique to avert a repeat of a 2018 summit in Quebec, when Trump instructed the US delegation to withdraw its approval of the final communique after leaving. READ MORE [ Israel and Iran continue to exchange attacks as death tolls and calls for de-escalation grow Opens in new window ] Leaders have prepared several draft documents seen by Reuters, including one calling for de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict and other statements on migration, artificial intelligence and critical mineral supply chains. None of them have been approved by the United States, however, according to sources briefed on the documents. 'I do think there's a consensus for de-escalation. Obviously, what we need to do today is to bring that together and to be clear about how it is to be brought about,' British prime minister Keir Starmer told reporters. The first five months of Trump's second term upended foreign policy on Ukraine, raised anxiety over his closer ties to Russia and resulted in tariffs on U.S. allies. Talks on Monday will centre around the economy, advancing trade deals, and China. Efforts to reach an agreement to lower the G7 price cap on Russian oil even if Trump decided to opt out have been complicated by a temporary surge in oil prices since Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 12th, two diplomatic sources said. Oil prices fell on Monday on reports Iran was seeking a truce. The escalation between the two regional foes is high on the agenda, with diplomatic sources saying they hope to urge restraint and a return to diplomacy. 'We are united. Nobody wants to see Iran get a nuclear weapon and everyone wants discussions and negotiations to restart,' France's President Emmanuel Macron told reporters in Greenland on Sunday before travelling to Canada. He added that given Israel's dependence on U.S. weapons and munitions, Washington had the capacity to restart negotiations. Trump said on Sunday many calls and meetings were taking place to broker peace. Highlighting the unease among some of Washington's allies, Trump spoke on Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested the Russian leader could play a mediation role between Israel and Iran. [ Amount of aid getting into Gaza 'minuscule', Doctors Without Borders chief says Opens in new window ] Macron dismissed the idea, arguing that Moscow could not be a negotiator because it had started an illegal war against Ukraine. A European diplomat said Trump's suggestion showed that Russia, despite being kicked out of the group in 2014 after annexing Crimea, was very much on U.S. minds. 'In the eyes of the U.S., there's no condemnation for Ukraine; no peace without Russia; and now even credit for its mediation role with Iran. For Europeans, this will be a really tough G7,' the diplomat said. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte will attend the summit on Tuesday. European officials said they hoped to use the meeting, and next week's NATO summit, to convince Trump to toughen his stance on Putin. 'The G7 should have the objective for us to converge again, for Ukraine to get a ceasefire to lead to a robust and lasting peace, and in my view it's a question of seeing whether President Trump is ready to put forward much tougher sanctions on Russia,' Macron said. - Reuters (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025
