World powers must use their influence with Israel and Iran to bring about a return to a rules-based international order where dialogue and diplomacy are used to resolve disputes, the Taoiseach has said.
Speaking to reporters in Cork on Saturday, Micheál Martin said Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear programme and Iran’s retaliatory missile attack on Tel Aviv are worrying developments that only add to the trauma experienced by civilians across the Middle East,
“It is deeply concerning that we have so much conflict in the Middle East. It is dangerous in terms of its impact on civilian populations in the first instance. We see the horrors of Gaza – Syria is coming out of the embers of a horrible civil war,” he said.
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Mr Martin said Iran should have engaged proactively years ago about its nuclear programme and set about dismantling it. It is important that the West continues its engagement with Iran even though the current situation could “make that very difficult”, he said.
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“There has to be a return to a rules-based international order. At the moment, it is receding before our very eyes. It is being eroded; the United Nations (UN) is being eroded and that is a matter of deep concern to us,” he said.
“We want to see a peaceful resolution to the conflict. We believe in dialogue, and we believe in diplomacy, so we would say, to the world powers in particular, to use their influence and stop the hostilities to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages.”
Mr Martin said a failure to de-escalate the tensions between Israel and Iran would have serious consequences. He said the International Atomic Energy Agency had previouslywarned of the consequences that would arise if Iran did not engage fully with the agency on its nuclear programme.
He said the agency also said the bombing of nuclear installations is hugely concerning.
Mr Martin was speaking to reporters while attending a ceremony at Cork Airport to officially name the main airport artery Rory Gallagher Avenue in honour of the Cork guitarist.
