Ireland will represent the European Union in its relations with Iran over the next six months during the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU.
Initially Irish diplomats will be carrying out this work from the German embassy in Tehran before they move into a new premises for Ireland’s Embassy, with work to fit it out said to be “close to completion”.
It comes amid sporadic hostilities between the United States and Iran despite efforts to reach a peace agreement to end the war launched by the US and Israel in February.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the timeline for a project to deliver a chancery, or office, premises for Ireland’s Embassy and the Ambassador’s residence has been affected by the conflict.
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Newly released figures show more than €3.76 million has been spent over the last five years on the re-establishment of Ireland’s diplomatic presence in Tehran, after a previous Irish Embassy was closed in 2012 following the economic crash.
There have been two conflicts between the US and Israel on one side, and Iran on the other, in just over a year.
There was a short bombing campaign in June 2025 that saw the United States strike Iran’s nuclear sites. Ireland’s diplomatic staff were temporarily relocated to Dublin at that time.
Later there was serious internal unrest in Iran with mass economic protests from late December to mid-January. Iranian authorities responded with a heavy-handed crackdown which killed at least 7,000, according to official figures, while opposition figures put the death toll at 30,000.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said Irish diplomatic staff were again temporarily relocated to Dublin in January.
It said the decision to withdraw diplomatic staff was taken “for operational reasons and not as a direct result of the unrest in Iran at that time”.
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A ceremony where Iran’s ambassador designate to Ireland, Eshagh Al Habib, was due to present his credentials to President Catherine Connolly was postponed in January. This was due to concern in Dublin over the crackdown on the protests in Iran. The ceremony eventually went ahead in May and Al Habib officially took up his duties as ambassador.
The US and Israel launched this year’s larger war against Iran at the end of February. On Saturday, Iran said it struck targets linked to US forces in response to US air strikes on its southern coast, as each side continued to accuse the other of violating last week’s agreement intended to end the four-month-old war.
Talks to end the war have been mediated by Pakistan and Qatar.
The Council of the European Union – of which Ireland will assume the presidency on Wednesday – has welcomed the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran.
It also said: “The European Union will continue to engage, in close co-ordination with regional partners, in diplomatic efforts and stands ready to support the implementation of the agreement.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs did not respond directly when asked if it expects Irish diplomats to be involved in any peace negotiations in the months ahead.
In a statement, it said: “Diplomatic officers are now back in Tehran, led by Ambassador-designate Aidan Cronin.”
The department also said: “In the absence of a European Union Delegation in Iran, the country holding the presidency represents the EU locally in Tehran.”
It confirmed it has secured a lease on a premises that will accommodate Ireland’s Embassy in Iran and said: “Works are close to completion on fitting it out for this purpose.”
While the conflict has affected the project’s timeline, it has not resulted in damage to this new chancery, which is also set to be used as the Ambassador’s residence.
The annual rent for the premises is US$270,000 (€237,000).
Since 2021, €394,300 has been spent on the project to deliver an Embassy premises and official accommodation for the Ambassador.
There has also been expenditure of a further sum of more than €875,600 on “office premises”.
Almost €1.65 million has been spent on payroll costs for staff as part of overall spending on Ireland’s renewed diplomatic mission in Iran of €3.76 million.
