WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that American forces had dealt a major blow to Iran’s military, claiming to have “knocked out their navy, their air force, their anti-aircraft equipment, their radar, and their leaders.”

Speaking alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin at the White House during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, Trump again described the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran a “little excursion,” and that the US was “way ahead of schedule.”

Martin, for his part, emphasized the importance of international cooperation and diplomacy.

“Like other small countries, we see international rules in order, including the United Nations, as essential to our peace and security and to that of the world,” Martin said.

“Our own recent history has convinced us that dialogue, negotiation and de-escalation are the ways to make progress,” he said, calling for peace efforts in the Middle East and a “just and sustainable peace” in Ukraine.

Martin said he was “profoundly honored” to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the White House once again.