Latest news with #SimonHarris
The Journal
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Ten weeks to save Irish peacekeeping in Lebanon as US weighs up whether to end its support
IRISH AND FRENCH diplomats are working intensely to convince the United States not to end support for the UN's peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, which could spell the end of the international peace effort. US officials have arrived in Lebanon and Israel to assess whether their country should veto the renewal of the UNIFIL mission. Sources have told The Journal that a major and secret effort is under way to stop the US from pulling the plug on the south Lebanon operation. Inside Government departments and at Cabinet level, Irish officials are understood to be anxious to find a way to keep the mission going. Officials have been directed by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Harris to work with the French and others to push for a solution. The Times of Israel reported earlier this month that the US was deciding whether it would vote against the renewal of the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission. The deadline to save the mission is ten weeks from now, when the UN will vote on whether to renew the mandate for UNIFIL. The UNIFIL mission (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) began in 1978 to maintain peace and security on the border between Lebanon and Israel after a period of increased tension between the two countries. Irish troops are part of a massive international presence of 10,500 troops from 50 countries to monitor both sides of the border. A total of 48 Irish soldiers have been killed there on active service. Their deaths were caused in action, in accidents, and in kidnappings by Israeli forces, Hezbollah, AMAL, and local militias aligned to Israel or to Lebanese factions. The Journal has confirmed that US officials, led by envoy Tom Barrack, have been in Lebanon and Israel to assess the effectiveness or not of the UNIFIL mission. In a move that is consistent with previous missions by the US, Barrack has no background in diplomacy; he is a real estate investor. Sources have said there is extensive lobbying ongoing by Israel to have the United States, which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, end its support for the mission. There are fears among diplomatic sources that the work of Barrack and his team is a fait accompli, and the decision has already essentially been made to pull the plug on US support for UNIFIL, given the support the Trump administration has for Israel. Behind the scenes, French diplomats are leading negotiations and Ireland is working with them. The withdrawal of US support would be a significant setback for UNIFIL. Advertisement Sources believe that the US turning its back on the mandate would mean a cut of around 25% of the budget for the mission, which would cause a major reduction in troop numbers. Tánaiste Simon Harris speaking to troops in Camp Shamrock in South Lebanon in March. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Worst case scenario The worst case scenario would be that the UNIFIL mission would end, which would necessitate a massive withdrawal of Irish troops from south Lebanon. Currently around 330 soldiers of the 126th Infantry Battalion are stationed at multiple locations in the south of the country, monitoring the uneasy truce along what is known as the Blue Line. This was established in the wake of the 2006 war following international agreement on the border designating where Israel had to withdraw beyond. If the mission was to end completely, the Irish would withdraw en masse from the area. This would involve the chartering of a ship as Ireland does not have naval capability to move the troops. Sources said the seaborne withdrawal of kit and equipment would likely either happen from Beirut or from Tyre. Troop-carrying aircraft would also have to be chartered or they would hitch a ride on a flight by a partner country. It is understood that no immediate plans are in place for this. The Defence Forces and the government are awaiting the outcome of the vote in August. The Irish Defence Forces logisticians have carried out this operation before in the 2000s when the Irish temporarily withdrew from Lebanon and they recently successfully moved massive amounts of equipment and vehicles home to Ireland from their Syria mission . Camp Shamrock where the Irish are based with troops from Ghana and Poland. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Israeli strategic goal Sources said that the strategic goal for Israel is to make northern Israel free from the threat of rocket fire as well as other major cities inside the Jewish State. This is the justification for the previous invasions. The main body of Israeli troops have withdrawn back across the Blue Line but, within the Irish area of operations, south of the towns of Bint Jbeil and At Tiri, the IDF maintains one of a number of forward operating bases. Overflights by Israeli drones and aircraft are being monitored by a massive French radar station in the area with an Irish and LAF patrol fired upon recently by Israeli forces as well as a number of other incident. Hezbollah militants have also been seeking to intimidate UN troops. The powder keg atmosphere in the Levant will continue but sources said the Irish government remains hopeful that a compromise can be found to soothe the tensions in the UN assembly and for the mission to continue. 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
Irish Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Diplomatic efforts continuing in bid to help Irish citizens in Iran and Israel
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris has said intensive consular work is ongoing to assist Irish citizens who want to leave Israel and Iran . There is a particular concern about the safety of diplomats in Iran. Ireland is working with other partners about potential routes out. Mr Harris, the Tánaiste, has held talks with the foreign affairs ministers of Saudi Arabia and Jordan over what he termed the 'increasingly dangerous' situation unfolding in the Middle East. Mr Harris spoke by phone to the Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi. READ MORE 'We discussed the crisis between Iran and Israel and the urgent need for de-escalation and diplomacy,' Mr Harris said. 'We also agreed on the need to maintain international focus on the deplorable situation in Gaza and the West Bank . I will continue to engage with regional partners in support of a return to stability and peace.' Regarding the safety of Irish citizens in the region, Mr Harris said there were 29 in Iran they were aware of, with about 12 dependants. 'And if they do wish to leave, we are working with other countries in terms of putting safe routes in place,' he said. 'In relation to Israel, there are more Irish citizens in Israel – in and around 200 – and we're working with other European countries in terms of the potential of [their] getting to Egypt or Jordan and being able to take flights from there.' In discussions with the Jordanian and Saudi ministers, he pointed to Iran being set to attend talks in Geneva on Friday, which is seen as crucial for any breakthrough. Ireland will be represented at the meeting by the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. The UK will also be in attendance. Speaking earlier, Mr Harris said: 'It is not possible to overstate the serious moment of danger, not just in Iran and in Israel, but indeed in the broader region and indeed in relation to global security. 'We need Iran and Israel to step back from the brink.' 'I think that is a really important moment to try to get to a position where we can get Iran back to the negotiating table in relation to its nuclear programme.' Mr Harris said the war between Israel and Iran was happening against a backdrop of a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. 'The genocide is still continuing in Gaza. It is an extraordinarily dangerous situation, and the ongoing challenge in Gaza is still obviously persisting, and the world can't forget Gaza either,' he said. Separately, Taoiseach Micheál Martin , Mr Harris and most members of the Cabinet will travel to a North-South Ministerial Council in Armagh on Friday to meet First Minister Michelle O'Neill, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and members of the Northern Ireland Executive. It is the first plenary in years when both administrations will have published their programmes for government and it allows for a more substantive agenda than in recent summits. Mr Martin has urged all ministers to engage with Northern counterparts since the new government was formed and he has highlighted the potential of the increased funding of the Shared Island Initiative.
South Wales Guardian
11 hours ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Irish leaders call for ‘immediate de-escalation' between Iran and Israel
Irish premier Micheal Martin said Iran should make clear it will not pursue further enrichment of uranium. Irish deputy premier Simon Harris, who is also the minister for foreign affairs, said work was ongoing at EU level to engage with citizens in Israel and Iran who may wish to leave. Iran and Israel have been striking each other's territory for a week, deepening the crisis in the Middle East. Israel said it launched an attack to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran has insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful, but it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, far in excess of the levels required for power stations and a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. After a missile attack on a hospital in southern Israel, defence minister Israel Katz said Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'absolutely should not continue to exist'. US President Donald Trump has also reportedly been considering involving the US by targeting a uranium enrichment facility in Iran. Asked what role Ireland can play in the crisis, Mr Martin said Ireland and the EU can urge 'restraint and de-escalation'. 'The world needs stability and it needs peace – and dialogue is the way to resolve the nuclear issue in terms of Iran,' the Taoiseach told RTE Radio. 'Iran has been a malign actor in the Middle East for quite a long time in terms of supporting Hezbollah, Hamas the Houthis – it's a theocratic autocratic state. 'But there was dialogue on the way between Iran and the United States on that issue, I think that should restart. 'I think Iran should make it very clear that it will not pursue further enrichment of uranium, or indeed progress to developing nuclear bomb capacity.' Meanwhile, Mr Harris said there was a 'massive effort' at EU level to support citizens and diplomats in Iran and Israel. He said the EU was engaging with Germany, France and the UK to persuade the Iranians back into talks. 'It is almost impossible to overstate the potential danger of this, if there ends up being involvement of other countries, or indeed spill-over into other countries,' he said on Thursday. 'Ireland, whilst far away in one way, does obviously have a number of citizens in both countries, have a significant number of troops in Lebanon, is very concerned about the situation in Palestine, so there's quite a lot of moving parts in this.' He told RTE Radio: 'Nobody wants to see Iran with nuclear capabilities. 'Everybody is aware of the dangers that Iran poses, but at the same time, the way you resolve these issues is through the talks that were scheduled to take place and which were obviously ultimately postponed as a result of Israeli (incursion).' He said Irish embassies had contacted citizens in Iran and Israel on Wednesday who would like to leave when the opportunity arises. There are around 29 Irish citizens and 12 dependants in Iran, and 200 Irish citizens in Israel. 'There's the massive effort at a European level to make sure we try to provide support to our own citizens and our own diplomats in what is becoming a really dangerous environment and a really difficult environment in which to operate from and function from as well,' he told RTE Radio. He said that as the airspace is closed in Iran, evacuation would mean going over the land border, and for those in Israel it means travelling to Jordan or Egypt. 'There are a number of options available to us. We're working very closely with a number of member states, and we're also having to now, in a very serious way, also look at how we best support our diplomats, because the situation is deteriorating quite significantly in terms of being able to effectively operate in the country, and also obviously safety and security issues,' he said.
Irish Independent
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Efforts intensify to help Irish citizens flee ‘increasingly dangerous' Israel and Iran
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Harris, said there is particular concern around the safety of Irish citizens, especially diplomats in Iran. He was speaking after holding talks this evening with the Foreign Affairs Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Jordan. 'In Iran we have around 29 Irish citizens that we're aware of, and around twelve dependants. And if they do wish to leave, we are working with other countries where safe to do so in terms of putting routes in place," he said. 'In relation to Israel, there are more Irish citizens in Israel, in and around 200, and we're working with other European countries in terms of the potential of getting to Egypt or Jordan and be able to take flights from there. "Ireland is working with other partners about potential routes out," he said. In his talks with Jordanian and Saudi Arabian counterparts, the Tánaiste pointed to the fact that Iran will attend talks in Geneva tomorrow, which is seen as crucial for any breakthrough to take place. Ireland will be represented at the meeting by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. The UK will also be in attendance. The Tánaiste said: 'It is not possible to overstate the serious moment of danger, not just in Iran and in Israel, but indeed in the broader region, and indeed in relation to global security. 'We need Iran and Israel to step back from the brink." He said: 'I welcome the fact that tomorrow Iran will attend talks in Geneva with the European Union and what they call the E3 – Germany, France and the UK. 'I think that is a really important moment to try and get to a position where we can get Iran back to the negotiating table in relation to its nuclear programme.' Simon Harris added: 'I spoke to the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian ministers today as well and it is very clear that there is a real risk of overspill into other parts of the region. "Of course, all of this is happening against the backdrop where the horrific humanitarian catastrophe, the genocide is still continuing in Gaza.' So, this is an extraordinarily dangerous situation, and the ongoing challenge in Gaza is still obviously persisting, and the world can't forget Gaza either.'
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Irish leaders call for ‘immediate de-escalation' between Iran and Israel
Ireland's premier and deputy premier have called for an 'immediate de-escalation' between Israel and Iran and for diplomatic talks to restart. Irish premier Micheal Martin said Iran should make clear it will not pursue further enrichment of uranium. Irish deputy premier Simon Harris, who is also the minister for foreign affairs, said work was ongoing at EU level to engage with citizens in Israel and Iran who may wish to leave. Iran and Israel have been striking each other's territory for a week, deepening the crisis in the Middle East. Israel said it launched an attack to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran has insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful, but it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, far in excess of the levels required for power stations and a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. After a missile attack on a hospital in southern Israel, defence minister Israel Katz said Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'absolutely should not continue to exist'. US President Donald Trump has also reportedly been considering involving the US by targeting a uranium enrichment facility in Iran. Asked what role Ireland can play in the crisis, Mr Martin said Ireland and the EU can urge 'restraint and de-escalation'. 'The world needs stability and it needs peace – and dialogue is the way to resolve the nuclear issue in terms of Iran,' the Taoiseach told RTE Radio. 'Iran has been a malign actor in the Middle East for quite a long time in terms of supporting Hezbollah, Hamas the Houthis – it's a theocratic autocratic state. 'But there was dialogue on the way between Iran and the United States on that issue, I think that should restart. 'I think Iran should make it very clear that it will not pursue further enrichment of uranium, or indeed progress to developing nuclear bomb capacity.' Meanwhile, Mr Harris said there was a 'massive effort' at EU level to support citizens and diplomats in Iran and Israel. He said the EU was engaging with Germany, France and the UK to persuade the Iranians back into talks. 'It is almost impossible to overstate the potential danger of this, if there ends up being involvement of other countries, or indeed spill-over into other countries,' he said on Thursday. 'Ireland, whilst far away in one way, does obviously have a number of citizens in both countries, have a significant number of troops in Lebanon, is very concerned about the situation in Palestine, so there's quite a lot of moving parts in this.' He told RTE Radio: 'Nobody wants to see Iran with nuclear capabilities. 'Everybody is aware of the dangers that Iran poses, but at the same time, the way you resolve these issues is through the talks that were scheduled to take place and which were obviously ultimately postponed as a result of Israeli (incursion).' He said Irish embassies had contacted citizens in Iran and Israel on Wednesday who would like to leave when the opportunity arises. There are around 29 Irish citizens and 12 dependants in Iran, and 200 Irish citizens in Israel. 'There's the massive effort at a European level to make sure we try to provide support to our own citizens and our own diplomats in what is becoming a really dangerous environment and a really difficult environment in which to operate from and function from as well,' he told RTE Radio. He said that as the airspace is closed in Iran, evacuation would mean going over the land border, and for those in Israel it means travelling to Jordan or Egypt. 'There are a number of options available to us. We're working very closely with a number of member states, and we're also having to now, in a very serious way, also look at how we best support our diplomats, because the situation is deteriorating quite significantly in terms of being able to effectively operate in the country, and also obviously safety and security issues,' he said.
