Irish leaders say Iran war cannot continue for three weeks

A further two to three weeks of war in Iran is too long, Ireland’s premier and deputy premier have said.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris warned of the consequences to the world’s energy supplies in response to comments by US President Donald Trump overnight.

Mr Trump said he could walk away from the war in two to three weeks without a ceasefire if he felt confident Iran would not be able to build a nuclear weapon.

The US and Israel began bombing Iran on February 28, after which the Iranians began an effective blockade of vital trading route the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting energy and fuel supplies.

Asked if he would be giving an address to Irish citizens about the energy crisis, following similar addresses by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Mr Martin said: “We won’t be doing one today, but obviously we’re keeping everything under review.”

Mr Harris, who is also Ireland’s finance minister, warned that in just over four weeks the scale of damage to the world’s energy infrastructure has been significant.

Speaking outside Government Buildings, Mr Harris said that two to three weeks “might sound like a relatively short period of time”, but the economic and humanitarian impact would be “extraordinarily concerning”.

“The war is currently ongoing for about 33 days, look at the scale of damage that has been done to the world’s energy infrastructure in that period of time,” he said.

“We don’t have another 21 days, or thereabouts, to see de-escalation.

“We’re already living through the largest energy crisis in the history of the world, bigger than the last three combined.”

Mr Martin said two to three weeks was “too long” and said the Irish government was pressing for “as early an end to this as possible”.

“There is simply too much volatility around this war,” he said.

“The sooner this ends, I think, the sooner we see de-escalation across the region, then the greater the prospect of restoring some degree of normality, although it will take a considerable degree of time.”

Asked if they were concerned about reports that prices at petrol pumps are rising again, despite last week’s cut to excise duty, Mr Harris said he believed the cuts were passed on to consumers.

He said: “Diesel and petrol prices are still below where they were in advance of the excise cuts.

“So imagine how much higher they would have been had those measures not been put in place, so I do believe they were the right measures to take.”

Mr Martin said the situation is “very, very volatile” and added “the only certain way” to stop prices rising is “to end the war”.

Mr Harris said the European Commission is working on “advice and maybe a toolkit” containing “sensible ideas that might be offered to the public”, which is expected to be made available next week.

Asked if the government would be issuing advice to citizens to work from home, the Tanaiste said “the level of government advice” would depend on how long the war goes on for “because every day it goes on, the energy supply crisis worsens”.

He said measures, such as those taken during the Ukrainian crisis, where lights on public buildings were not turned on at night, are “under review”.