*Doonbeg. Photograph: Martin Connolly
Trump Doonbeg and Shannon Airport are not potential targets amid the growing conflict between the US and Iran, the Iranian Ambassador to Ireland has confirmed.
Speaking earlier this week, Masoud Eslami wished to reassure the people of Clare that they were in no immediate danger as tensions ramp up between the United States of America and Iran following last week’s assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani, a figure the Ambassador compared to Michael Collins.
On the prospect of an attack on Shannon Airport, Eslami stated, “I would rule that out for the time being. This is a very far speculation. We are very far from such a situation”. He urged the Irish Government to reconsider the use of Shannon by US military.
Launching an attack on properties owned by US President Donald Trump and his family such as Trump Doonbeg is not on Iran’s agenda, the Ambassador added. “I can assure you targeting personal properties of Trump or places like Shannon Airport are not considered to be targeted in Iran’s retaliations or measures that are going to be taken against the deliberate attacks by the United States,”
Talk of a low target as implied by tweets from Hesameddin Ashena, a top adviser to Iran’s president did not cause too much concern in Doonbeg. “There is such much conflict in the world that we just take it that it’s not going to happen, we are a peace loving country in a peace loving area, I think it would be the last of our worries,” Liam Ryan told The Clare Echo.
A native of Limerick but living in Doonbeg since 1980, Liam is the PRO of Doughmore Coastal Protection Group. He said of the local reaction to the talk of threats, “People would say you better watch out, they’re gunning for you, I know it’s not a joke but it was a sense of humour between people, ‘you better get inside the door before 8pm and make sure you’re not seen’. I don’t think it’s an issue for us here”.
