EU review ‘paints grim picture' of Israel's actions in Gaza, says Irish PM
Dublin: An EU review 'paints a grim picture' of Israel's failure to adhere to international obligations, Ireland's premier Micheal Martin has said.
The premier said the report highlights the restriction of food and medicines into Gaza, which he said 'amounts to the use of starvation as a method of war'.
The EU-Israel Association Agreement is being reviewed after a dozen EU member states backed it last month.
The unpublished report has found that there are 'indications' Israel could be in breach of its human rights obligations under the trade agreement, according to several media outlets.
Reacting on Saturday, Martin welcomed the 'substantive and important' report on Israel's compliance with its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel deal. He said Ireland had 'long argued' that clauses on human rights in the EU's international agreement 'have to be respected' and should prompt 'serious consequences' when they are not.(PA Media/dpa)
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Al Jazeera
18 minutes ago
- Al Jazeera
‘Everlasting consequences': World reacts to US attacks on Iran
The United States has bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, further escalating the war between Israel and Iran. President Donald Trump late on Saturday said the US attacks 'obliterated' the Iranian facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz as he threatened more strikes to eliminate the country's nuclear enrichment capacity if Tehran 'does not make peace'. Iran acknowledged the attacks, saying its personnel working at the nuclear sites were evacuated before the attacks. The US strikes came more than a week after Israel launched a military campaign against Iran, which retaliated with missile attacks, resulting in hundreds of casualties on both sides. Here are some key reactions from around the world following the US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites: Iran In his first public remarks after the strikes, Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi accused the US of breaching international law. 'The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT [Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations,' Araghchi said in a social media post. 'The events this morning [Sunday] are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.' He added that Iran 'reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people'. Israel 'Congratulations, President Trump. Your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement. 'History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons.' United Nations 'I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today,' Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. 'This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security', he said, adding that there is a 'growing risk' that this conflict could 'rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world'. Guterres called on member states to 'de-escalate' and 'uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law'. 'At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.' Hamas In a statement, the Palestinian armed group said it condemned 'in the strongest terms the brazen aggression of the United States against the territory and sovereignty of Iran'. 'The US aggression against Iran is a dangerous escalation, blind obedience to the occupiers' agenda, and a clear violation of international law,' Hamas said. 'We declare our solidarity with Iran, its leadership, and its people, and we have full confidence in Iran's ability to defend its sovereignty.' US Democrats The top Democrat in the House of Representatives accused Trump of pushing the country towards war. 'President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East,' Congressman Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. 'Donald Trump shoulders complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences that flow from his unilateral military action.' China A flash commentary from China's government-run media asked whether the US is 'repeating its Iraq mistake in Iran'. The online piece by CGTN, the foreign-language arm of the state broadcaster, said the US strikes mark a dangerous turning point. 'History has repeatedly shown that military interventions in the Middle East often produce unintended consequences, including prolonged conflicts and regional destabilization,' it said, citing the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. It said a measured, diplomatic approach that prioritizes dialogue over military confrontation offers the best hope for stability in the Middle East. Australia 'We have been clear that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,' the Australian government spokesperson said. 'We note the US President's statement that now is the time for peace,' he said, adding that the security situation in the region is 'highly volatile'. 'We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy,' the spokesperson said. New Zealand 'We acknowledge developments in the last 24 hours, including President Trump's announcement of US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran', Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. 'Ongoing military action in the Middle East is extremely worrying, and it is critical further escalation is avoided,' he said, adding that New Zealand 'strongly supports efforts towards diplomacy'. 'We urge all parties to return to talks. Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action.' Mexico 'The ministry urgently calls for diplomatic dialogue for peace between the parties involved in the Middle East conflict, Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on their X account. 'In keeping with our constitutional principles of foreign policy and our country's pacifist conviction, we reiterate our call to de-escalate tensions in the region,' the ministry said. 'The restoration of peaceful coexistence among the states of the region is the highest priority.' Venezuela 'Venezuela Condemns US Military Aggression Against Iran and Demands an Immediate Cessation of Hostilities,' Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said in a Telegram post. 'The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela firmly and categorically condemns the bombing carried out by the United States military, at the request of the State of Israel, against nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan complexes,' he said. US groups CAIR and AIPAC The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a US Muslim rights group, said the US attack is an 'illegal and unjustified' act of war that comes under pressure from the 'out-of-control' Israeli government, and despite the longstanding conclusion of the US intelligence that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon. On the other hand, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the powerful pro-Israel group in the US, praised the strikes ordered by Trump and said the US 'must now work with our allies to protect our troops and regional interests against Iranian attacks'. Cuba Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel strongly condemned the US bombing, saying it constituted a 'dangerous escalation' and a serious violation of the UN Charter. He added that it 'plunges humanity into a crisis with irreversible consequences'. Chile Chilean President Gabriel Boric also called the US action illegal. 'Chile condemns this US attack,' he wrote on X. 'Having power does not authorise you to use it in violation of the rules that we as humanity have given ourselves. Even if you are the United States.'
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
US joins Israel in attacks against Iran, strikes key nuclear sites
President Donald Trump has announced that United States forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites in a 'very successful attack', adding that the heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility is 'gone'. Trump's decision on Saturday to join Israel's military campaign against Iran represents a major escalation of the conflict. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan,' Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that the military planes were now on their way home. 'NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!' he added. Later, in a televised Oval Office address that lasted just more than three minutes, Trump said that Iran's future held 'either peace or tragedy', and that there were many other targets that could be hit by the US military. 'The strikes were a spectacular military success,' Trump said. 'Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.' The strikes came as Israel and Iran have been engaged in more than a week of aerial combat, with deaths and injuries in both countries. Israel launched the attacks on Iran, saying that it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only. Diplomatic efforts by Western nations to stop the hostilities have been unsuccessful. 'Will not stop' Iran's nuclear agency on Sunday confirmed that attacks took place on its Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz atomic sites, but insisted that its work would not be stopped. 'The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran assures the great Iranian nation that despite the evil conspiracies of its enemies, with the efforts of thousands of its revolutionary and motivated scientists and experts, it will not allow the development of this national industry, which is the result of the blood of nuclear martyrs, to be stopped,' it said in its statement. CBS News reported that the US reached out to Iran diplomatically on Saturday to say the strikes were all it planned and that the US did not intend on regime change efforts. Trump told Fox News that six bunker-buster bombs were dropped on the Fordow nuclear site, while 30 Tomahawk missiles were fired against the others, Esfahan and Fordow. US B-2 bombers were involved in the strikes, a US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'Awesome and righteous US might' Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett said that Trump was advised that the bombings would allow for the dismantling of Iran's nuclear programme. 'Donald Trump has been advised that, as commander-in-chief, this will not lead to escalation,' Halkett reported from Washington, DC. 'But he knows there is a chance that there could be an escalation as a result of his action.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump's decision to attack Iran. 'Congratulations, President Trump. Your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history,' Netanyahu said. Israeli military officials said earlier on Saturday that they had completed another series of strikes on dozens of military targets in southwestern Iran. Israel launched attacks on June 13, saying that Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons, which it neither confirms nor denies. At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks, Iranian state-run Nour News said, citing the Ministry of Health. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed by Iranian missile attacks, according to local authorities, in the worst direct conflict between the longtime enemies. More than 450 Iranian missiles have been fired towards Israel, according to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Israeli officials said that 1,272 people have been injured since the beginning of the hostilities, with 14 in serious condition.
Al Jazeera
6 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
LIVE: Trump says US has bombed 3 nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow
US President Donald Trump says American forces have conducted 'very successful' strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan and that all US planes are now out of Iranian airspace. Israel's attacks on Iran continue, with Israeli forces targeting military facilities and nuclear sites. Earlier, Iran launched dozens of drones towards Israel.
