TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS has condemned Iran’s “reckless” attack on Israel and urged “all sides” to show restraint to avoid the conflict spiralling further.

He posted on social media this morning following Iran’s overnight missile and drone barrage on its longtime foe.

At least 12 people were injured by the attack.

In a statement this morning, the Taoiseach has issued the following statement in response to Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel.

I strongly condemn Iran’s reckless and large scale attack on Israel. I urge all sides to show restraint now and to avoid any escalation in military action and the devastation that would cause

— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) April 14, 2024

“I strongly condemn Iran’s reckless and large-scale attack on Israel,” he said.

“I urge all sides to show restraint now and to avoid any escalation in military action and the devastation that would cause.”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he strongly condemns Iran’s attack.

“My thoughts are with the Israeli people at this time. The scale and intensity of the attack represents a flagrant threat to international peace and security and is utterly unacceptable,” Martin said

“It does nothing to help the cause of the Palestinian people or bring us closer to an end to the suffering in Gaza.

“There is now an urgent need for regional de-escalation. Further escalation is in nobody’s interest. I urge all actors to intensify efforts to restore stability. Ireland will work closely with our EU partners in responding to this crisis.”

World reaction

Countries around the world condemned Iran’s strikes on Israel late Saturday, warning the attack threatened to further destabilise the Middle East.

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said the strikes were “an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security” in a message on X.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned “the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

“I am deeply alarmed about the very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation,” he added, calling on parties to “avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East”.

Egypt, which regularly acts as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, said it was in “direct contact with all sides to the conflict to try to contain the situation”.

And regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia urged parties to exercise “restraint and spare the region and its peoples from the dangers of war”.

It went on to urge the UN Security Council “to assume its responsibility towards maintaining international peace and security”.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Iran’s “reckless” action and pledged his government would “continue to stand up for Israel’s security”.

France echoed the commitment to Israel, with Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne saying “Iran has reached a new level of destabilisation”.

China, meanwhile, characterised the attack as “the latest spillover of the Gaza conflict” and called for the implementation of a recent UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian territory, saying more than six months of fighting “must end now”.

The Security Council is to meet at around 2pm GMT Sunday to discuss the latest crisis at Israel’s request, its current president Malta said.

Biden said he would also convene his fellow leaders of the G7 group of wealthy nations on Sunday to coordinate a “united diplomatic response” to Iran’s “brazen” attack.