Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has described as “genuinely disappointing” the decision of First Minister Michelle O’Neill not to attend a second UK Government briefing on the situation in Iran. The briefings, the first of which took place on Saturday and the second on Monday, were intended to inform Northern Ireland’s leaders about the impact of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Ms O’Neill said she was in “ongoing contact with the Irish and British governments” but would “not be part of any briefing by the British Government on their military operations”. She branded the conflict a “reckless war” that should never have begun, adding that the British Government’s involvement was “absolutely the wrong call”.
Speaking in the Assembly, Ms Little-Pengelly said she was “absolutely baffled” that “some appear to support” the Iranian regime, and claimed that Sinn Féin “have had a long-running relationship with Iran”. The DUP leader, Gavin Robinson, said the Iranian regime “has had very strong connections with terrorists who tried to destroy Northern Ireland”, and argued the UK “should have been involved earlier”.
The conflict has widened, with Iran and Iranian-backed militias firing missiles at Israel and Arab states, while Israel and the US struck targets in Iran. A drone attack targeted RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus hours after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced American forces could use British bases to strike Iranian missile sites. About 300,000 Britons are believed to be in countries targeted by Iran, with officials examining options including a potential mass evacuation.
