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Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Micheál Martin addressed how Europeans are perceiving the United States war on Iran as Operation Epic Fury enters its third week.
“From the Irish perspective, we prefer peaceful resolution of conflict, if that’s possible, and we ultimately believe in diplomacy and dialogue,” he said.
Martin joined “Special Report” Monday ahead of his St. Patrick’s Day meeting with President Donald Trump, where he discussed international perceptions of the U.S.-Iran conflict and Ireland’s relationship with the United States.
The prime minister agreed with Trump’s position that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon but diverged from the U.S. on its tactics for achieving that objective.
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President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. Trump is reportedly considering backing militias in Iran to topple the regime. (The White House via X Account/Anadolu via Getty Images/Contributor/Getty Images)
“Everyone has acknowledged that you cannot have a rogue state like Iran getting control of nuclear weapons,” Martin asserted. “And it was a very, very repressive regime.”
Martin noted Ireland’s longstanding diplomatic approach, referencing the lessons the country learned from the 30-year conflict known as “The Troubles” between Protestant unionists and Catholic nationalists.
“We had war ourselves on the island of Ireland,” he told . “It was a terrible 30-year conflict, and we learned a lot in terms of how to resolve conflict.”
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The Taoiseach also pushed back on critics who say Ireland’s relationship with the United States has grown strained.
Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin is scheduled to meet with President Trump on Tuesday. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
“We come with mutual respect. We don’t agree on everything, of course,” he said. “And I think that once we have that mutual respect and so forth, I think the relationship will continue to grow. I mean, there’s 35 million people in America who claim Irish-American descent.”
Martin highlighted the billions of dollars in Irish investment flowing into the United States and dubbed the U.S.-Irish relationship a “two-way economic street.”
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“$390 billion of investment ongoing over the years, increasing all of the time. 800 Irish companies now employing… about 200,000 people across America, which illustrates the transformation of the relationship between the US and Ireland,” Martin explained.
Martin is set to continue the annual tradition of presenting the U.S. president with a bowl of shamrocks and reflected positively on his 2025 meeting with President Trump.
Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin presents President Trump with a bowl of clover during a St. Patrick’s Day event at the White House on March 12, 2025. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
“I’m looking forward to the visit,” he said. “I had a very good visit last year, and we had a good engagement. He was an extremely courteous person at that stage.”
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Martin also shared a message to the tens of millions of Americans of Irish descent ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, thanking them for their contributions to both Ireland and the United States.
“This year in the America 250, essentially, we want to affirm what you did, the contribution you made to America, in building America, but also you maintained that dual loyalty to your country here in America, your new country, but also that loyalty to Ireland, that commitment to Ireland and advocacy for Ireland, which has stood us in great stead,” he said.
