The Irish Embassy in Tehran has temporarily closed its doors due to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, as announced by Tánaiste Simon Harris.
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Last Friday, Israel initiated a series of attacks on Iran, asserting that its long-time adversary was on the brink of developing nuclear weapons. In response, Iran, which maintains that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes, has launched missile and drone strikes against Israel.
Simon Harris, who also serves as Minister for Foreign Affairs, remarked, “Given the dangerous and deteriorating situation, we have made the decision to temporarily close our embassy in Tehran and relocate staff.” He expressed concerns about “the operational environment for our embassy” and the safety of its personnel.
According to reports, the Irish diplomats left Tehran by road alongside diplomats from several other EU nations, as Iranian airspace remains inaccessible. Their journey took approximately 12 hours to reach the Iranian border, and they successfully exited the country at around 6 PM this evening.
While the embassy originally housed four Irish staff members, two had already departed prior to this latest closure. Ambassador Laoise Moore and one other diplomat remained until today.
Mr. Harris highlighted that these arrangements will remain in place “until it is safe for our personnel to return to Iran.” The government is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to assist Irish citizens residing in both Iran and Israel who may wish to leave, with an estimated 30 Irish nationals currently in Iran. However, not all are anticipated to exit the country.
Importantly, there are no plans to close the Irish embassy in Tel Aviv or its diplomatic representation in Ramallah, located in the West Bank.
In a related development, the UK announced today its temporary withdrawal of staff from its embassy in Iran, though they plan to maintain remote operations. Countries such as Australia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Slovakia have also indicated similar temporary closures of their embassies in Iran.
On the diplomatic front, senior European diplomats convened in Geneva with Iranian Foreign Minister Abas Araghchi, seeking to propose a “diplomatic solution” to the ongoing conflict. Israel emphasized the need for Europe to adopt a “firm stance” with Iran during these discussions, making it clear they were “not part of that meeting.”
In further diplomatic efforts, the European ministers communicated with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, indicating that the United States is open to direct talks, even as it contemplates joining Israeli efforts aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Meanwhile, a UN Security Council session is underway, during which Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged all parties involved to “give peace a chance.” Iran has asserted that it will continue to defend itself against Israeli aggression, while Israel’s UN ambassador reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing strikes until Iran’s perceived nuclear threat is neutralized.
Additional reporting: AFP/Reuters
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
