Micheál Martin has equated Israel’s “unconscionable” violence on Gaza with Iran’s “malign” influence on the Middle East.
The Taoiseach has called for a “cessation of violence” between the two Middle Eastern powers amid fears of a destabilising regional war.
He was speaking at the National Economic Dialogue in Dublin, where international uncertainty was flagged by a number of senior Ministers as a reason for prudence and caution in Budget 2026.
The annual, government-run event acts as a forum for public consultation and discussion on budget measures.
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It comes as Israel and Iran launched fresh missile attacks on each other over the weekend in the aftermath of a deadly operation by Israel against Iran’s nuclear and military operation.
Israel’s unilateral action against Iran had interrupted talks between Washington and Tehran.
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“I think it’s absolutely imperative that the war would stop and cease. This is potentially very destabilising, not just for the region, but globally,” Mr Martin said. “And I felt that the talks that president Trump was engaging in respect of endeavouring to do a deal with Iran should have been allowed to continue.”
He said Iran had been a “malign country” in the region for a long time, offering financial support to terrorist organisations such as Hizbullah and Hamas that had also created significant instability.
“But that said, Israel, in my view, equally, in terms of what it’s doing in Gaza, is unconscionable in terms of violence being meted out to the population of Gaza, and that needs to stop. We need a de-escalation in the region urgently,” Mr Martin also said.
He said he hoped international powers could intervene to bring about a cessation of violence, given the risks to civilians and to regional and global instability.
Speaking on his way into the National Economic Dialogue, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris said that “to say the world is on the brink of an extraordinarily destabilising situation” in the Middle East would be an understatement.
The Tánaiste said he had been engaging with Irish diplomats in Tehran and Tel Aviv over the weekend. On Tuesday he is to attend an emergency meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
“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,” he said.
Mr Harris said there was a “very small” number of Irish citizens in Iran, most of them long term. There are more in Israel, although still a “relatively small” amount.
“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.”
Mr Harris said Ireland would consistently “call for a de-escalation”.
“Nobody wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon. The way to resolve the issues in relation to a nuclear problem in Iran was through the talks that were under way, and that’s where we need to try and get back to,” he said.
