Episode Details

US President Donald Trump has described the Iranian regime as "sick", "demented", "maniacs", and promised a quick end to the war. Following his meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday, Mr. Trump says he's "way ahead of schedule" on Iran and the whole world should be "very thankful" for his intervention. He also said he is disappointed in NATO, and gave a timeline of a "couple of weeks" for the end of the war. President Trump said he was forced to act. The EU's foreign policy chief says the door is not closed to European participation in protecting the Strait of Hormuz. But Kaja Kallas says it would probably be part of a diplomatic solution. She also says EU is consulting with governments in the Middle East about how to bring the conflict to a conclusion. Kaja Kallas warned about the need to improve our own defences. Iran has confirmed its top security official has been killed in an airstrike. Tehran had yesterday denied Ali Larijani had been killed - displaying a handwritten note supposedly written by him as evidence he was alive. Iran launched missiles at Israel overnight, killing two people. Meanwhile, senior US counter-terrorism boss Joe Kent has resigned, saying he doesn't support the conflict. To discuss all of this, along with growing concern about the impact on global energy supplies and fuel prices, given the situation with the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world’s oil passes, Alan Morrissey was joined by Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Associate Professor of Politics at Dublin City University, and Micheál Collins, Assistant Professor of Social Policy at University College Dublin. Image © Getty Images Signature