The Minister for Foreign Affairs has consistently declined to say whether she believes Israeli and American air strikes on Iran violated international law.
Speaking to reporters in Dublin on Thursday afternoon, Helen McEntee was asked repeatedly if the actions by the two countries were outside international law, reports Breaking News.
She repeatedly referred to the absence of a UN mandate, saying that for conflicts to be “justified” there “needs to be a UN mandate from the UN Security Council”, reports Breaking News.
On Saturday, the US and Israel carried out air strikes targeting Iran’s leadership, missile facilities, and nuclear programme.
Iran responded with thousands of drones and ballistic missiles aimed at Israel, UK and American military bases and embassies in the region, as well as energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf, reports Breaking News.
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The conflict has resulted in more than 1,230 deaths in Iran, over 100 in Lebanon, and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials, and has disrupted global oil and gas supplies, blocked international shipping, and stranded hundreds of thousands of travellers in the Middle East.
When asked why she avoided explicitly stating that the Irish Government considers the US and Israel to have broken international law, McEntee said much of the “extremely difficult situation in the Middle East” was “caused by Iran”, reports Breaking News.
She added: “I think we’re all grappling with the fact that Iran has not only subdued and massacred its own citizens and population in recent decades and more recently, in recent weeks, but it has essentially contributed to state-sponsored terrorism for many in the region”, reports Breaking News.
McEntee continued: “So much of the instability and conflict that has been caused in the region has been at the hands of Iran, reports Breaking News.
“So we all want to see an improvement and a change, and we want the people of Iran to be able to essentially set out their own destiny”, reports Breaking News.
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