Main Points
- The US and Israel have attacked Iran, following months of rising regional tensions.
- US president Donald Trump said the US military launched “major combat operations” in Iran, saying the country had attempted to rebuild its nuclear programme.
- Blasts were heard across multiple cities in Iran, including the capital Tehran and Isfahan.
- The UN secretary general has condemned the US-Israeli action and Iran’s response to it.
- Iranians mounted a protest in Dublin city centre saying the regime in the country must be overthown.
- Nine flights between Dublin Airport and airports in the Middle East were cancelled today, according to the airport operator.
- Iran’s Supreme National Security Council promised a “crushing response” to strikes.
- Deaths have been reported in Syria and the UAE amid retaliatory strikes by Tehran, with several Gulf states targeted.
Our live coverage for today of this developing story is ending.
Thank you for reading.
Watch: Netanyahu says signs show Khamenei is ‘no longer with us’
‘Donald Trump is dragging the United States into a war the American people do not want’ - Kamala Harris
Former US vice-president Kamala Harris has denounced the attack on Iran.
“Donald Trump is dragging the United States into a war the American people do not want,” Harris said. “Let me be clear: I am opposed to a regime-change war in Iran, and our troops are being put in harm’s way for the sake of Trump’s war of choice.”
“This is a dangerous and unnecessary gamble with American lives that also jeopardises stability in the region and our standing in the world,” Harris added. “I know the threat that Iran poses, and they must never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, but this is not the way to dismantle that threat.” “During the campaign, Donald Trump promised to end wars rather than start them. It was a lie. Then last year, he said ‘we obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program. That, too, was a lie.”
Iran official warns of ‘mental warfare’ after Israeli reports of Khamenei’s death
The head of public relations at the Iranian supreme leader’s office on Saturday accused the country’s enemies of “mental warfare” after Israeli reports Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed, according to Iranian state media reports.
“The enemy is resorting to mental warfare, all should be aware,” the public relations official was quoted as saying.
Dublin Airport passengers warned of further flight disruption
Nine flights between Dublin Airport and airports in the Middle East have been cancelled today, according to the operator of the airport.
The cancelled flights included two inbound flights; Dubai and Doha, and seven outbound services; Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.
“Further disruption to flight schedules on Sunday has already been confirmed,” according to Graeme McQueen, head of media relations at DAA.
“Qatar Airways has cancelled its full Sunday schedule of two outbound and two inbound services between Dublin and Doha, while both Emirates and Etihad Airways have cancelled their early morning inbound and outbound services, with the rest of their Sunday schedules remaining under review.”
“Passengers due to fly on Sunday are advised to contact their airline directly for the latest updates on their flight.”
Iran’s supreme leader killed in US and Israeli strikes - media reports
Reuters news agency is reporting that Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. According to a senior Israeli official, Khamenei, who has ruled Iran since 1989, is dead and his body has been found.
It follows Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments a short while ago that there were growing signs that Khamenei “is no longer with us”.
Several Israeli outlets, including News 12 and Times of Israel, are citing officials also claiming that the supreme leader is dead.
There is no official confirmation of the death. Updates to follow.
‘I can end Iran conflict in two or three days’ - Trump
In a five minute phone interview from Mar-a-Lago, the US president has told Axios that he has several “off ramps” for his conflict with Iran.
He said: “I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: ‘See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear and missile programs]. In any case, it will take them several years to recover from this attack.”
Trump also claimed that the Iranians “got close and then pulled back” on talks - which were being held in Geneva last week.
“I understood from that that they don’t really want a deal,” he said. The US president told Axios he had a “great” conversation with Binjamin Netanyahu after the strikes, and said he and the Israeli prime minister were “on the same wavelength”.
Netanyahu calls on Iranians to seize ‘opportunity’ to topple regime
Addressing the “courageous” Iranian people, Israeli prime minister Binjamin Netanyahu said the strikes will help them “unshackle themselves from tyranny”.
They have a “once in a generation chance” to overthrow the Iranian regime, he said. He urged Iranians to “take to the streets en masse” and “get the job done”.
It is “high time you come together” and “unite for a historic mission”, he said.
“This is an opportunity to do something. Do not sit with your arms crossed, because this moment will come and you will be demanded to go out of the streets in the masses, because you have to complete this work, and you have to bring down and eradicate this regime.”
Binjamin Netanyahu has said the joint military operation with the US managed to target senior members of Iran’s nuclear operation as well as senior officials.
He said they will continue to hit “thousands of targets” in Iran’s “terrorist regime”.
Signs that Iran’s supreme leader is ‘no longer’, says Netanyahu
Israeli prime minister Binjamin Netanyahu says they have destroyed Ayatollah Ali Khameini’s compound and adds that all indications show this tyrant is “no longer with us”.
This contradicts reports from the Iranian foreign ministry earlier claiming that the supreme leader and Iran’s president were both “safe and sound”.
IDF issues evacuation order for Iran’s Isfahan industrial zone
Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) put out an urgent alert on its Farsi page on X, warning “all personnel” in an industrial zone in Iran’s Isfahan region to “immediately evacuate”, saying it would imminently attack “military infrastructure” there.
“Urgent alert to all people located in the ‘G’ industrial zone in the Isfahan region ... in a few minutes, the Israeli army will attack military infrastructure in this zone,” the post reads.
It includes a map showing the targeted area, warning people to “immediately evacuate this area”. The IDF told residents of the Mazraeh village to stay inside their homes until the morning, and to avoid approaching the industrial zone after the attack.
201 people killed and 747 injured - Iranian media reports
Iranian media has reported that 201 people have been killed and 747 injured following strikes in the country.
Israel said its strikes targeted the Iranian regime’s leadership and military commanders, including Ali Khamenei and the president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iranian state media, citing Iran’s senior officials, reported that Khamenei was not in Tehran and was taken to a secure location, while Pezeshkian was safe. - Guardian
UAE urges residents to remain indoors
The United Arab Emirates has urged its citizens and residents via phone message to remain indoors and wait for official instructions. - Reuters
President Catherine Connolly calls on ‘all sides to immediately return to diplomacy’
President Catherine Connolly has said “all possible steps must be taken to avoid a further escalation” in the Middle East following military strikes.
The President has called on all sides to immediately return to diplomacy and negotiation in line with the principles of international law and the UN Charter.
“I welcome the support of Irish embassies and missions in the region who are working to support Irish citizens at a time when their safety and welfare will be of immediate concern to all those with friends and family living in the region,” she said.
Connolly also said the “normalisation of war, including the invasion at will of sovereign states” was a path that “only leads to destruction and loss of life”.
Italy’s defence minister stuck in Dubai following strikes
Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto was stuck in Dubai with his family on Saturday as flights were suspended after US and Israeli attacks on Iran, a source close to the ministry said on Saturday.
The minister left Rome on Friday evening aboard a civilian flight to join his family, already in Dubai on holiday. He was scheduled to return to Italy on Saturday afternoon.
The Italian carrier ITA Airways said it had suspended flights to and from Dubai until Sunday. - Reuters
‘I was speaking with my mother and we heard the sound of rockets and bombs’
Some Iranians living in Ireland have welcomed the intervention of the United States and Israel in Iran.
Dozens of Iranians attended a protest at the Spire in Dublin city centre on Saturday afternoon. The demonstration was arranged before the US and Israel launching air strikes on Iran on Saturday morning.
Vitaly, who did not wish to share his surname, has lived in Ireland for three years. He is transgender and said he “escaped” Iran because members of the LGBT+ community are persecuted there.
Vitaly is worried for his parents and wider family who live in Tehran. Communication has been difficult in recent weeks – after the regime imposed an internet ban – but he spoke to his mother on Saturday.
“This morning, I was speaking with my mother and we heard the sound of rockets and bombs. After that, we understood the war had started,” he said.
Read more here.
Where did US and Israeli key strikes hit in Iran?
Germany’s Merz stresses commitment to Israel’s security
Germany has not participated in US and Israeli strikes against Iranian targets, chancellor Friedrich Merz has said, adding that Berlin was committed to peace and security in the Middle East.
“It [Germany] remains committed to peace and security in the region and underlines its commitment to Israel’s security. It believes that the Iranian people have the right to determine their own destiny,” Merz said in a statement.
Reports of fire near Dubai hotel
There are reports a fire has broken out near the entrance of Fairmont The Palm hotel in Dubai, after debris apparently fell from the sky during an Iranian missile attack.
Photos on social media show a large blaze and smoke rising from outside the building.
Dubai’s media office said emergency response teams have responded to an “incident” in a building in the Palm Jumeirah area.
It said four people had been injured and were taken to medical facilities.
It said that the fire was under control, adding: “The public is urged to remain calm.”
US president Donald Trump spoke with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Saturday, according to a White House spokeswoman.
Trump will continue to closely monitor the Iranian situation with his national security team, spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.
UN secretary general condemns US-Israeli action and Iran response
UN secretary general António Guterres has condemned the US-Israel military action and Iran’s response.
In a statement, he has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation.
“Failing to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability,“ he said.
“I strongly encourage all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table. I reiterate that there is no viable alternative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes, in full accordance with international law, including the UN charter.
“The charter provides the foundation for the maintenance of international peace and security.”
‘It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history’ - senior Democrat
US lawmakers have reacted to the violence erupting in the Middle East.
Jim Himes, a senior Democrat on the US House intelligence committee, said: “Everything I have heard from the administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no stategic endgame.
“As I expressed to (secretary of state) Rubio when he briefed the Gang of Eight (senior lawmakers from both parties in the House and Senate), military action in this region almost never ends well for the United States, and conflict with Iran can easily sprial and escalate in ways we cannot anticipate.
“It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history.”
Democratic senator Ed Markey said Trump’s military attack on Iran was illegal and unconstitutional.
“It was not approved by Congress and holds dangers for all Americans. Trump’s illegal actions raise the threat of escalation into a wider regional war with grave risks for US troops and civilians in the region,” he said.
“Trump has exaggerated the imminence of Iran’s nuclear threat, even after insisting the United States ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear programme during his illegal Operation Midnight Hammer attack. Even secretary of state Mark Rubio admitted Iran is not enriching uranium. There was time for diplomacy before this attack, and there still is.”
Iran supreme leader and president still alive ‘as far as I know’, says foreign minister
Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, has told NBC News that Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and president Masoud Pezeshkian are still alive “as far as I know”.
“All high ranking officials are alive,” he said.
“So everybody is now in its position, and we are handling this situation, and everything is fine.”
Israel said earlier on Saturday that its strikes targeted the Iranian regime leadership and military commanders, including Khamenei and Pezeshkian.
Their whereabouts is unknown but Iranian media reported that Khamenei is due to speak today.
United Nations security council to meet
The UN security council will meet on Saturday after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, plunging the Middle East into a new conflict.
UN diplomats said the 15-member body would meet at 4pm local time in New York. The meeting will be chaired by Britain, which holds the monthly council presidency.
Russia’s UN mission said Russia and China requested an emergency meeting “in connection with the unprovoked act of armed aggression by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
It said the meeting was also called for by France, Bahrain, and Colombia.
“During the security council meeting, we will demand from the United States and Israel to immediately cease their illegal and escalatory actions and embark on a path toward a political and diplomatic settlement,” the Russian statement said.
US-Israeli strikes had been planned over months, says Israeli military official
Joint US-Israeli strikes on Saturday had been planned over months and included the targeting of sites where senior Iranian officials were convening, resulting in the killing of several senior figures, an Israeli military official has said.
“Three sites where gatherings of the Iranian terror regime were taking place were struck simultaneously, and several senior figures essential to the management of the campaign and the regime’s governance were eliminated,” the Israeli official said.
More than 50 people killed at school in southern Iran, local media reports
The US and Israel struck targets across Iran on Saturday morning, with president Donald Trump urging Iranians to overthrow the government in a conflict that is already spiraling across the oil-rich Middle East.
“The hour for your freedom is at hand,” Trump said, addressing Iranians in a video posted on Truth Social.
“When we’re finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”
The military campaign could be a defining moment for Trump, risking a drawn-out regional war that leads to a surge in energy prices and American casualties ahead of midterm elections this year.
Iran quickly responded by firing missiles on Israel and US bases around the region, and countries in the Persian Gulf closed their airspace.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain - all of which host US troops - reported Iranian attacks, most of which they seemed to intercept.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted Iranian missiles over its capital, Riyadh, and the eastern region, where most of the kingdom’s oil fields are located.
Israel’s military said the campaign would target dozens of military targets. Iranian media reported strikes on defensive and civilian sites, including one that killed more than 50 people at a school in Hormozgan, in the south of the country. Several large explosions were reported in the capital, Tehran.
Iran answered with a wave of missile and drone attacks on Israel and countries hosting the US military.
Bahrain said an American base in that country had come under attack, and Qatar and the UAE said they intercepted missiles in their airspace.
Trump said the military operation began after Iran refused to renounce nuclear weapons, which Tehran has repeatedly said it isn’t pursuing.
The US aims to destroy the Islamic Republic’s missile inventory and industry as well as its navy, the president said.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz declared a state of emergency as he announced Saturday’s strikes, and said the country expected to come under retaliatory drone and missile attacks.
Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald calls for military action to stop
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said US and Israeli’s joint action was “unprovoked military aggression” and described it as a “frightening turn of events”.
McDonald called for a cessation of military action.
“It is the second such action in just nine months, it is incredibly dangerous, lives are at stake, civilian lives,” she said.
“There needs to be cessation of this action, there needs to be a return to the negotiating table and diplomacy needs to win out.
“It is a shocking situation and, remember, there is an ongoing genocide, unchecked, in Palestine, running alongside this.”
McDonald added: “I am sure innocent Iranian families and civilians are terrified, they will pick up the human cost of this.
“Young lives have been lost ... there is absolutely no conceivable justification for these actions.”
Iranians attend protest in Dublin city centre
Ethiad Airways has said all departures from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 2pm (UAE time) on Sunday.
Arrivals before 2pm (UAE time) on Sunday are also cancelled.
“Services after expected to operate, subject to conditions,” it said on Saturday afternoon.
US-Israeli attacks a ‘dangerous and reckless act of aggression’ that risks plunging the region into wider war - Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin foreign affairs spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD has condemned the US and Israeli attacks on Iran as a “dangerous and reckless act of aggression that risks plunging the region into wider war”.
“These attacks launched by Israel and the United States have the potential to cause profound instability in the region, and a spiral of violence that can spread to several neighbouring countries,” he said.
“These attacks are to be condemned. The bombing of cities such as Tehran and Isfahan puts civilians in immediate danger. These actions threaten to ignite a broader regional conflict.”
Ó Laoghaire said ordinary Iranian families will inevitably suffer as a direct result of the assault.
“They did not choose this conflict, yet they will now pay the human cost with fear, destruction and the humanitarian crisis which will follow,” he added.
“Already we have seen deaths of civilians, including reportedly some 40 school girls killed in the city of Minab.”
“The United States’ track record in terms of military interference in the Middle East has been disastrous. Decades of invasions, occupations and bombardment have resulted in immense loss of life and long-term destabilisation. This latest action risks repeating that tragic history.”
The Sinn Féin TD said Ireland had a central role at the United Nations during negotiations on the previous Iran nuclear deal and the Government must “bring every political lever to bear in the interests of such a deal, and peace”.
“Peace and the safety of all in the region can only be achieved through such a framework, in line with the UN Charter and international law,” he said.
“It should also be noted that this comes within 24 hours of US-Iranian negotiations which were described by the Foreign Minister of Oman as representing significant progress; negotiations now apparently just discarded in favour of these attacks.
“There must be an immediate cessation of attacks and a return to diplomacy. The multilateral system must be paramount and fully upheld. Ireland must speak out as a neutral, credible voice against unprovoked military aggression and the potential for another disastrous war in the region.”
Joint statement from UK, France & Germany calls on Iran to seek ‘negotiated solution’
British prime minister Keir Starmer has condemned Iran’s attacks on neighbouring countries after Tehran retaliated following strikes by Israel and the US on Saturday morning.
A joint statement by French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and Starmer also urged Iran to “seek a negotiated solution”.
The statement, posted on X by the German Embassy in London, said: “France, Germany and the United Kingdom have consistently urged the Iranian regime to end Iran’s nuclear program, curb its ballistic missile program, refrain from its destabilising activity in the region and our homelands, and to cease the appalling violence and repression against its own people.
“We did not participate in these strikes, but are in close contact with our international partners, including the United States, Israel and partners in the region. We reiterate our commitment to regional stability and to the protection of civilian life.
“We condemn Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms. Iran must refrain from indiscriminate military strikes. We urge the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution. Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future.”
Iranian state media are now reporting that 40 people have been killed at a girls’ primary school in the southern town of Minab.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has expressed support for US air strikes targeting Iran.
In a statement, he said: “Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security.”
Carney said despite diplomatic efforts, Iran had neither “fully dismantled its nuclear program, halted all enrichment activities, nor ended its support for regional terrorist proxy groups”.
Conflict should be resolved through diplomacy and negotiation, says Taoiseach
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he is “deeply concerned” by developments in Iran and the real potential that exists for “escalation and wider conflict in the region”.
In a statement on Saturday, he strongly urged all parties to exercise restraint and to “work to avoid that outcome”.
“Ireland has always believed that conflict should be resolved through diplomacy and negotiation, in line with the principles of the UN Charter and international law. That must apply in this situation as much as in any other,” he said.
“The protection of civilian life in Iran, in Israel and in all neighbouring countries must now be paramount. There can be no question but that the regime in Iran is a brutal and repressive one.
“We have seen in recent months how it has massacred and imprisoned its own people when they have risen up in protest against it. It has used its malign influence to drive conflict and division throughout the Middle East.
“We have been clear that it must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons and we have supported international efforts to ensure its compliance with its obligations in international law.
“That goal should be pursued around the negotiating table.
“Our embassies and missions in the region are working to support Irish citizens affected and are coordinating closely with our international partners to ensure their safety.
“We will remain in close contact with our international partners, in the EU and the UN, as the situation evolves.”
This is not merely another round in the decades-long struggle between Israel and Iran and its proxies for regional hegemony. This is the big one and Israel’s aim is regime change, writes Mark Weiss in Jerusalem.
His full piece can be read here.
Several Gulf Arab states have said they were targeted by Iranian missiles on Saturday after Tehran pledged to retaliate against strikes by the United States and Israel.
The United Arab Emirates defence ministry said one person had been killed in Abu Dhabi.
Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan, all of which have a US military presence, said they had intercepted the Iranian missiles.
“All occupied territories and the criminal US bases in the region have been struck by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles. This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said.
Bahrain confirmed an attack inside its territory and said a service center of the US Fifth Fleet had been struck.
In Qatar, the military said in a statement that it had intercepted incoming Iranian missiles before they reached Qatari territory after “joint coordination”. Several successive waves of blasts were heard in the Qatari capital Doha.
The Kuwaiti army says it dealt with missiles in Kuwaiti airspace, while Jordan said it had downed two Iranian ballistic missiles.
Global airlines suspended flights across the Middle East, with flight maps showing the airspace over Iran virtually empty.
Four people were killed and several others wounded when an Iranian missile struck a building in the southern Syrian city of Sweida on Saturday, the state news agency Sana has said.
Other missile debris fell in the city of Quneitra and the Yarmouk Basin in Daraa province in southern Syria, according to witnesses.
Outbreak of war has ‘serious consequences’ for international peace and security, says Macron
French president Emmanuel Macron has called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
Macron said the outbreak of a war between the United States, Israel and Iran has “serious consequences” for international peace and security.
In a post on X, he said: “The current escalation is dangerous for everyone. It must stop. The Iranian regime must understand that it now has no other option but to engage in good-faith negotiations to end its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as its actions to destabilise the region.
“This is absolutely essential for the security of everyone in the Middle East. The Iranian people must also be able to freely build their future. The massacres committed by the Islamic regime disqualify it and demand that the voice be returned to the people. The sooner, the better.
“Faithful to its principles and aware of its international responsibilities, France is calling for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council. I am in close contact with our European partners and friends in the Middle East.”
Regime change in Iran unlikely in absence of mass defections from military
By mounting air attacks across Iran, Israel and the US have invited Iranian retaliation against US bases and allies in the Gulf, writes Michael Jansen.
Explosions have hit northern Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, the Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan.
While the US has 13 military installations around the region, the largest is al-Udeid base in Qatar, which was a target of Iranian missiles.
To pre-empt and prevent Tehran’s retaliation, the US and Israel should have given priority to eliminating Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones.
Military actions have torpedoed Monday’s resumption of Omani mediated protracted negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear programme. The US-Israeli offensive could put an end to negotiations for the foreseeable future.
In advance of the attack, Gulf states had rejected the use of force as it is too risky and destabilising.
Iran’s retaliation could involve mining or blocking the Strait of Hormuz through which 20-25 per cent of the global oil supply is shipped daily from the Gulf. This would not only punish Iranian and Gulf oil exporters but also precipitate an “oil shock” comparable to that of the 1970s by depriving the West of the oil needed for manufacturing, commercial and personal consumption.
US civilian installations and interests in the Gulf could also come under Iranian attack from drones or ballistic missiles.
US president Donald Trump declared the objective of the aerial offensive was to effect regime change rather than prevent Iran from restoring nuclear installations bombed and put out of action by the US and Israel last June.
However, without the commitment of ground forces to battle regime defenders, Trump’s objective is unlikely to be attained. He has repeatedly called for the overthrow the regime by the Iranian people whose mass antigovernment protests were brutally put down in January.
Regime change would involve the ouster of the Islamic republic’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who, according to Iranian official reports, left Tehran and is in a safe location.
Anticipating his abduction or death, Iran has named the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, as his temporary successor.
Regime change by popular revolt rarely succeeds unless local armies intervene as happened in Egypt during the 2011 Arab Spring. The essential contributors to regime change in Iran are defection from or division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a unified domestic opposition ready and able to assume power.
The IRCG is not only loyal but is also a pillar of the regime and a stakeholder in the political system and economy. Iran’s security forces have suppressed the domestic opposition while external opponents are divided between monarchists, secularists, nationalists and communists.
‘This is not your war’ - Oman’s foreign minister tells US
Oman’s foreign minister has responded to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, urging the US not to get involved in the regional conflict.
Badr Albusaidi was mediating negotiations between Washington and Tehran earlier this week.
Albusaidi said on X: “I am dismayed. Active and serious negotiations have yet again been undermined.
“Neither the interests of the United States nor the cause of global peace are well served by this. And I pray for the innocents who will suffer.
“I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war.”
UAE Irish embassy advises citizens to shelter and avoid unnecessary movement
Given the deterioration of the security situation in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, Irish citizens have been advised to shelter in place, avoid unnecessary movement and follow the advice of the local authorities.
The Irish embassy in the United Arab Emirates said it is also aware that UAE, Kuwaiti, and Qatari airspace has been temporarily closed.
“Citizens affected are advised to liaise directly with their airlines and follow the guidance provided,” it said.
“We will share any updates as more information becomes available. For Irish citizens affected and concerned family members, please contact the duty officer in Dublin at +353 (0)1 408 2000.”
Iranian state media are reporting that 40 people have been killed after an Israeli air strike hit a girls school in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan.
Helen McEntee says she is ‘deeply concerned’ at US-Israeli attack
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Helen McEntee has just repsonded to this morning’s events.
Irish citizens should not undertake travel to Iran, she said, while also advising against travel to Israel.
In a statement, McEntee said: “I am deeply concerned that the US and Israel have decided to launch widespread armed conflict against Iran at this time.
“I am equally dismayed at the Iranian response in recent hours. As was made clear to me on my visit to the region last month, further conflict is profoundly unhelpful and presents challenges which only make already deep divisions more dangerous and unstable and put more lives in the region at risk.
“We had hoped that it would be possible to reach a diplomatic agreement to resolve international concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme. Ireland was a strong supporter of the JCPOA and of subsequent dialogue and diplomacy for this very reason. We urge all parties to return to this path of negotiation.”
The Fine Gael TD said she called on “all sides to de-escalate”.
“We hope also that other states in the region will exercise restraint - a wider conflict will increase regional instability.”
She said there are a small number of Irish citizens in Iran, most of whom have been resident in the country for many years.
“I fully understand the concerns of Irish citizens in the region, and the concerns of their families and friends in Ireland and around the world,” she added.
“Our embassies in the region are actively engaged to support Irish citizens who are affected.”
The travel advice remains that Irish citizens should not undertake travel to Iran.
“We also advise against travel to Israel. Our advice at this time to citizens in the region is to shelter in place,” she said. “You should follow the directions of the local authorities and advice issued on social media by the Irish embassy to your country of residence.”
Embassies in the region are closely monitoring the situation and continuing to provide consular assistance.
Relatives and friends who have queries or concerns about family members in the region to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade consular team in Dublin at +353 1 4082000.
McEntee said she will remain in close contact with EU and international partners as the situation continues to evolve.
It is unthinkable Taoiseach would go to White House to give shamrock to Trump, says PBP TD
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has called on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to unequivocally condemn the US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
He has also called for the Taoiseach’s upcoming visit to the White House to be cancelled.
The Dublin South-West TD said: “The United States and Israel have launched a co-ordinated attack on Iran. This is an unprovoked attack that has no justification.
“We do not want more prevarication and weasel words from the Taoiseach. He must immediately and unreservedly condemn the United States, as well as Israel, for this shocking violence and he must demand that Trump ends this war on Iran.
“It is unthinkable that the Taoiseach would go to the White House shortly to give shamrock to Trump. Our national day cannot be used to whitewash Trump and his wars of aggression.
“It would be a travesty and a national embarrassment. Many will die in this latest atrocity started by Trump. He is a war criminal and the St Patrick’s Day engagement must be cancelled.”
EU aviation safety agency recommends air operators avoid operating in region of ongoing military intervention
The EU aviation safety agency EASA has recommended that air operators avoid operating at all flight levels and altitudes in the region of ongoing military intervention in the Middle East.
In a safety advisory note, EASA said there was a high risk to civil aviation in the region and that the entire affected airspace was vulnerable to spillover risks, misidentification, miscalculation and failure of interception procedures.
The Irish Defence Forces has confirmed that Defence Forces personnel in missions across the Middle East, UNDOF, UNIFIL and UNTSO, are well and accounted for.
“We are continuing to monitor the situation across the region and our personnel remain committed to completing their mandated tasks,” it said on Saturday.
US president Donald Trump has told the Washington Post that his main concern is “freedom” for the Iranian people.
In a brief phone call in the early hours of this morning, he said he wanted Iran to be a place that’s “safe”.
“All I want is freedom for the people,” Trump told the publication, when asked about what he hoped his legacy would be as a result of the operation.
“I want a safe nation, and that’s what we’re going to have.”
One person dead in Abu Dhabi following ‘blatant attack by Iranian ballistic missiles’, says UAE defence ministry
A person has been killed after strikes in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates has confirmed.
The civilian, who is of “Asian nationality”, died after debris fell on a residential area in Abu Dhabi, its defence ministry said in a post on X.
It said several missiles targeting the country had been successfully intercepted following a “blatant attack today by Iranian ballistic missiles”.
Missile interceptions were also reported in Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan.
UK government says it stands ready to ‘protect our interests’ but does not want to see ‘further escalation’
The UK Government has responded to this morning’s air strikes in Iran. In a statement, it said it stands ready to “protect our interests” but does not want to see “further escalation into a wider regional conflict”.
“Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution,” a UK government spokesperson said.
“Our immediate priority is the safety of UK nationals in the region and we will provide them with consular assistance, available 24/7.
“As part of our long-standing commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East, we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region, which we have recently bolstered. We stand ready to protect our interests.
“We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.”
Dublin Airport has said airspace constraints in the Middle East mean there is potential for flights to and from the region to be disrupted on Saturday.
“As always, passengers should contact their airline directly for updates regarding the status of their flight,” it said.
Ursula von der Leyen calls for all parties to ‘exercise maximum restraint and protect civilians’
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said the developments in Iran are “greatly concerning”.
In a statement on X, she said: “We remain in close contact with our partners in the region. We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to safeguarding regional security and stability.
“Ensuring nuclear safety and preventing any actions that could further escalate tensions or undermine the global non-proliferation regime is of critical importance.
“The European Union has adopted extensive sanctions in response to the actions of Iran’s murderous regime and the Revolutionary Guards and has consistently promoted diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing the nuclear and ballistic programmes through a negotiated solution.
“In close co-ordination with EU Member States, we will take all necessary steps to ensure that EU citizens in the region can count on our full support.
“We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law.”
Iran’s national security council promises ‘crushing response’
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has promised a “crushing response” following joint US-Israeli air strikes on Iran, noting the attacks occurred “once again during negotiations” with Washington.
It said the “enemy” wrongly assumed the Iranian people would “surrender to their petty demands through such cowardly actions”.
The SNSC said Iran’s armed forces had already begun retaliatory measures and pledged to “continuously keep the dear people informed”.
It warned that operations by the US and Israel could continue in Tehran and other cities, urging citizens, “while maintaining calm”, to travel to safer areas where possible to avoid danger.
The council also reassured the public that the government had “prepared all societal needs in advance” and that there was “no concern regarding the supply of essential goods”, advising people to avoid crowded shopping centres.
Schools and universities will remain closed until further notice, banks will continue services, and government offices will operate at 50 per cent capacity, the SNSC said, adding that further updates would be announced in due course.
Columnist Vincent Durac has some analysis of how we got here. There’ss also an explainer of the key issues that divide the United States and Iran.
‘The feeling is that we are in this for the long haul’ – live reporting from Jerusalem
Journalist Mark Weiss reports from Jerusalem:
We are only three hours into the war and I’ve already lost count of how many times the sirens have sounded here in Jerusalem – four or five so far – and before I can complete this sentence, another one is going off, piercing the tranquil Shabbat morning.
We have relocated to the safe room – one of the bedrooms of the apartment – closing the metal door over the window and the metal door to the room, hoping that this protected space is indeed rocket-proof, if the worst case scenario plays out.
The essentials to bring into the room are water, snacks, your mobile phone and a computer to follow events as they unfold (in the event there is no TV in the safe room).
Residents with a safe room in the home are the lucky ones – others have to head to a public bomb shelter.
It started with an alert at 8.10am local time on our phones from IDF Home Front Command, warning us that Israel was attacking Iran and that we should stay close to a safe room or bomb shelter.
It wasn’t really a surprise: people have been talking about this possibility for weeks, with endless speculation about when it would kick off and whether it would be just the Americans or a joint operation.
Israel’s airspace is closed until further notice. Schools are cancelled and only essential workplaces will be open in the coming days. Celebrations of the Jewish festival of Purim, planned for tomorrow, are cancelled.
Some friends rushed from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to collect their young adult children, who do not have bomb shelters close to their apartments, and bring them back to their home.
The names of the communities under the threat of rocket fire comes up on the TV screen but at this juncture it’s basically the entire country. So we sit tight and wait for the all-clear, the message that it’s safe to leave the protected space. Until the next barrage.
Meanwhile, another siren is sounding. The feeling is that we are in this for the long haul.
The Israel Defense Forces said Iran has fired missiles towards Israel in response to the attack.
In a statement, the IDF said: “Sirens were sounded in several areas across the country following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward the State of Israel.”
The Israeli air force is operating to intercept and strike threats, it added.
Attack will create conditions for Iranians to ‘take their destiny into their own hands’, says Netanyahu
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran “will create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands”.
“The time has come for all sections of the people in Iran ... to remove the yoke of tyranny from [the regime] and bring a free and peace-loving Iran,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
The attack follows a 12-day air war in June between Israel and Iran and repeated US-Israeli warnings that they would strike again if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
“The state of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,” Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said.
An Israeli defence official said the operation had been planned for months in co-ordination with Washington, and that the launch date was decided weeks ago.
Explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian media reported, and sirens sounded across Israel around 8.15am local time in what the military said was a proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of an incoming missile strike.
The Israeli military announced the closure of schools and workplaces, with exceptions for essential sectors, and a ban on public airspace.
Israel closed its airspace to civilian flights, and the airports authority asked the public not to go to any of the country’s airports.
‘Bombs will be dropping everywhere’, says Trump
In a video message published on social media, US president Donald Trump cited Washington’s decades-long dispute with Iran, including the seizure of the 1979 US embassy in Tehran, when students held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days, as well as a range of other attacks the US has blamed on Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Trump said Iran had refused “for decades and decades” every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and “we can’t take it any more”.
“Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear programme and to continue developing long-range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach the American homeland,” he said.
“Just imagine how emboldened this regime would be if they ever had – and actually were armed with – nuclear weapons as a means to deliver their message. For these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests.
“We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy.
“We’re going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilise the region or the world and attack our forces, and no longer use their IEDs (improvised explosive devices) or roadside bombs, as they are sometimes called, to so gravely wound and kill thousands and thousands of people, including many Americans.
“And we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. It’s a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump urged Iranians to stay sheltered because “bombs will be dropping everywhere”.
He added: “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”
Attack ‘against all international law’, says Fianna Fáil MEP
Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews has said yet another US/Israeli “pre-emptive attack” in the Middle East was “against all international law”.
“Such strikes are only legal when there is a clear and imminent threat,” he said.
“This looks again like regime change. Nobody supports this Iranian regime, but this is not the way.”
Posting on X, Andrews said Trump “tore up” the nuclear deal with the international community in 2018 while Netanyahu has “pushed for this bombing for decades”.
“They are responsible for the fallout,” he added. “But we all could suffer the consequences, especially innocent Iranian civilians.”
Further escalation in Iran risks another ‘forever war in the Middle East’, says Labour Party
Labour’s foreign affairs spokesman Duncan Smith has expressed his “grave concern” following US and Israeli strikes on Iran overnight.
“Ultimately these strikes originate from the Trump administrations pulling out of the treaty Obama negotiated with Iran on enrichment,” he said.
“Ensuring Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapons capability should only be done through negotiation, the strong application of the IAEA inspections, and the broader non-proliferation regime.
“Instead we have an Israeli government that due to the international community’s inability to hold them accountable for their actions in Gaza, are acting with continuing impunity across the region.
“We also have a US administration that continues to display authoritarian tendencies, with these strikes being no exception.”
Smith added that launching pre-emptive strikes ,despite reports that breakthroughs had occurred in negotiations on stockpiling, risked a “new long-term war in the Middle East”.
“An emergency meeting of EU leaders must be called and I urge the Irish Government to call on our European allies to ensure that Europe works to de-escalate this conflict,” he said.
“Peace in the Middle East will never come on the battlefield, I urge the United States and Israel to stop their attacks and return to the negotiating table.”
US is planning ‘several days’ of attacks on Iran
The US military is expected to carry out a multiday operation against Iran, a US official told Reuters.
Israel’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, has said the strikes under way are aimed at removing the “existential threat” posed by Iran
He said Iran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons and the “operation” will create the conditions for the Iranian people to “take their fate into their own hands”.
Trump calls for changes in Iran’s leadership
US president Trump said the US had launched a “massive and ongoing” military campaign against Iran in an effort to decimate the country’s military, eliminate its nuclear programme and bring about a change in government.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” he said in an eight-minute-video posted on Truth Social.
“Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas and our allies throughout the world.”
Blast ring out across Tehran: latest images
Blasts have been heard across multiple cities in Iran, including the capital Tehran and Isfahan.
Long queues were reported at petrol stations with many people leaving the capital city, witnesses have told Reuters.
Three large explosions were heard in central Tehran, according to the Iranian news agency Fars. The casualties and targets were not immediately clear.
The first apparent strike happened near the offices of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
It was not clear whether 86-year-old Khamenei had been in his offices at the time. He has not been seen publicly in days as tensions with the US have grown.
Iranian officials say several ministries in southern Tehran have been targeted.
Israeli military says barrage of missiles has been launched towards Israel
At around 8.10am Irish time, the Israeli military said it had “identified missiles launched from Iran” towards Israel, adding: “Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat.”
The US embassy in Jerusalem, meanwhile, has said all government employees and their family members have been directed to shelter in place until further notice.
The US and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, pushing the Middle East into a renewed military confrontation.
The strikes followed months of rising regional tensions amid threats by US president Donald Trump to attack if Iran pressed ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
In a video shared on social media, Trump said the US military had launched “major combat operations” in Iran, saying the country had attempted to rebuild its nuclear programme.
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said Israel had launched a “pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the state of Israel".
Blasts have been heard across multiple Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran and Isfahan in central Iran.
