Minister Coveney announces re-establishment of an Irish Diplomatic Presence in Iran

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney, today announced the re-establishment of an Irish Diplomatic presence in Iran, following the closure of the Irish Embassy in 2012. A Diplomatic Mission will be established this year, to be headed at Chargé d’Affaires level, with a commitment to reopen an Irish Embassy in 2023.

Announcing the decision, the Minister said:

"As part of our Global Ireland strategy, Ireland made a commitment to double our global impact by 2025. In that context, the government has decided to re-establish an Irish diplomatic presence in Iran. As an elected member of the Security Council, it is particularly important that we have the ability to engage in more depth on the range of Middle East issues on the Security Council’s agenda.

"As Facilitator of Resolution 2231 (concerning the implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement, the JCPOA) for the next two years on the Council, we have a particular responsibility to play a constructive and impactful role on the nuclear non-proliferation agenda.

"Ireland is fully committed to the success of that agreement, and the prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The re-establishment of an Irish presence in Tehran is a concrete sign of our commitment to deepen dialogue with all relevant partners, including Iran, on this issue."

Notes

The Irish Embassy in Tehran closed in 2012, due to the impact of the financial crisis. Ireland’s Embassy in Ankara has maintained diplomatic relations with Iran via a Secondary Accreditation.

Ireland’s Mission in Tehran will be headed at Chargé d’Affaires. The Mission will be co-located with the German Embassy under a co-location agreement.

Ireland is Facilitator of Resolution 2231 on the Security Council. In this role, Ireland updates the Council on progress towards implementing Iran’s nuclear agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The JCPOA set strict limits on Iran’s nuclear activities, in return for sanctions relief. The US withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under President Trump, but the Biden Administration has indicated a willingness to re-engage with the deal, should Iran come back into compliance.