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THE TAOISEACH TOLD Donald Trump that Iranians want to “live in peace” as he also voiced support for a “different regime” overseeing the country during a White House meeting dominated by the ongoing war.

Micheál Martin listened to the US president tell of how “disappointed” he was in Nato members for their lack of military support the war against Iran, bemoaning them as having been “very unfair” to the US.

Martin told Trump during the Oval Office sitdown that Ireland wants a “peaceful resolution” to the conflict as he also condemned the “savage” killings of protesters in January.

Martin pointed to Ireland’s experiences from the The Troubles and expressed sympathies to Iranians, who “have been repressed and suppressed for so many years”.

“I think we have to continue to work to bring peace, different regime to Iran, where Iranians can live in peace, again, the people in the Middle East can live in peace,” Martin continued, adding that Trump was “doing your bit” to bring peace to Gaza.

The Fianna Fáil leader encouraged Trump to work with the UK and the EU to bring about an end to the war.

“Ultimately all conflicts come to an end and we have to work towards that end, and I’m sure European leaders and the US administration will engage, and hopefully we can get a landing zone,” Martin said.

Trump agreed with Martin’s remarks but quickly pivoted to his grievance that Europe doesn’t pull its weight.

“We helped with Ukraine and they don’t help with Iran,” Trump said of Europe.

It continued a theme that began even prior to today’s meeting, when Trump took to his Truth Social website to outline that the US no longer needs or wants Nato’s help.

“We do not need the help of anyone,” Trump said in the post.

Back in the Oval Office meeting, Trump said that everyone agrees Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon, then launched into a tangent comparing Iran’s leadership to Hitler.

“They were known as the bully of the Middle East, and they’re not the bully anymore,” Trump said.

The US president added that he thought Europe would have told him, “we’d love to send a couple of mine sweepers” to clear the Strait of Hormuz so the critical shipping route can be reopened.

“But they didn’t do that. So, you know, I think it’s very unfair to the United States, not to me, but to the United States,” Trump added.

Trump also told reporters that there could have been a “nuclear holocaust” if he hadn’t terminated the Iran deal struck by Barack Obama.

If the US hadn’t attacked Iranian uranium enrichment facilities, Trump said, it “would have been a much different world than it is” currently.

Response from Irish opposition

The Social Democrats have strongly criticised the Taoiseach for his handling of the meeting with Trump, calling it a “missed opportunity” for Ireland to stand up for international law.

Party leader Holly Cairns said Martin was “almost entirely mute” at times, including when Trump was “spreading misinformation to defend his illegal war” in Iran. This was an apparent reference to Trump’s repeated false claims in the meeting around a 757 plane that he claimed was stuffed with cash and sent to Iran by Obama.

“When he finally did interject, he gave the impression that Ireland had no issue with Trump’s unprovoked attack on Iran – a flagrant breach of international law,” Cairns said.

“Incredibly, at one point, the Taoiseach said Trump was “doing [his] bit” for peace in the Middle East – mere weeks after Trump launched an illegal war which has destabilised the entire region and unleashed chaos.”