Taoiseach: Ireland will not join mission to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Micheál Martin echoed other countries' stance, ruling out Irish involvement in any EU mission to reopen the strategic oil route

Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaking at the St Patrick's Day business leaders luncheon at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington DC as part of his St Patrick's Day visit to the US.

The Taoiseach has ruled out Irish involvement in any EU mission to reopen the strategic oil route in the Strait of Hormuz ahead of his visit to the White House on St Patrick's Day, as the US president piled pressure on European countries to assist America.

Micheál Martin will meet with Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday morning ahead of the traditional shamrock ceremony.

Mr Trump has been putting pressure on its EU allies to carry out a mission to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, a key artery in the global supply chain, with 20% of oil going through the waterway.

However, Mr Martin ruled out any Irish involvement.

“We don’t have that offensive military capacity in any shape or form, so obviously its not something that’s on our agenda,” Mr Martin said.

Other states refuse to send warships 

Other European countries also rejected calls to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, despite threats from Trump that Nato faces “a very bad future” if members fail to help reopen the vital waterway.

Germany ruled out participation in any military activity, including efforts to reopen the strait. The country’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said: 

This is not our war, we have not started it

Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said that “diplomacy needs to prevail” and his country was involved in no naval missions that could be extended to the area.

Australia, France, and Japan have also said they had no plans to send warships.

Mr Trump had called on other countries to enter the war by sending ships to the strait to protect commercial vessels and unblock oil shipments.

Catherine Connolly's comments 

The Taoiseach was also pressed on whether comments by President Catherine Connolly placed an obligation on him to declare the war in Iran as illegal.

Ms Connolly last week said the war in the Middle East constitutes “deliberate assaults on international law” and affirmed Ireland’s constitutional commitment to peace.

Mr Martin said he did not feel pressurised by those comments ahead of his White House visit. 

“Successive Irish Governments have pursued and supported a rules-based approach to global conflict,” Mr Martin said.

“The world is in a very challenging situation and no one likes war. We certainly don’t as a country and we want a specific resolution,” he said.

The Taoiseach said he did not have a specific gameplan for meeting with Mr Trump.

“I don’t have time for that,” Mr Martin said. “We have a broad position as a country. 

We’re confident in our contribution to America on a number of fronts. 

The Taoiseach acknowledged that politics is “unpredictable” but said he is looking forward to his engagement with Mr Trump.

Mr Martin said he did not expect to be ambushed by Mr Trump, when asked about previous difficult encounters in the White House for Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Cyril Ramaphosa.

“This is a week in which, what we’re essentially doing and we have been doing for many, many years is honouring, affirming a very historic relationship between the United States and Ireland,” Mr Martin said.

• Tadgh McNally, Political Reporter in Washington DC