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European leaders on Monday guardedly celebrated U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas all praised the development, but stressed the importance of quickly easing the global energy crisis.
Von der Leyen emphasized reopening the Strait of Hormuz should be a priority. “This agreement should allow for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Freedom of navigation must be restored toll-free,” she wrote on X.
Kallas, for her part, described the agreement as a “potential breakthrough.”
“It can give much-needed space for deeper negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme and other critical issues. Once implemented, the deal should also ease the global energy crisis,” she wrote .
Costa said differences should be resolved “by peaceful means, in accordance with international law.”
Other European leaders also welcomed the deal.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz congratulated both “the Iranian side” and President Trump on the agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron said this “paves the way for comprehensive negotiations in service of peace and security for all in the Middle East.”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also welcomed the announcement, while reiterating that “Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.”
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” Trump wrote on Truth Social late on Sunday.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — whose country has helped mediate talks — confirmed the announcement shortly after, writing on social media that “both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”
Sharif added that a signing ceremony was scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday and thanked the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey for their “mediation effort.”
The conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel began on February 28 and has lasted for more than three months, interrupted by several fragile ceasefires.
Israel has not yet signed on to the agreement. Foreign Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said the deal would not be binding on his country. “Israel is not subordinate to the United States. We are an independent and sovereign country,” he was quoted as saying by Israeli media .
International leaders are set to gather in Évian on Monday for the G7 summit, where discussions with Middle Eastern partners are on the agenda. “Europe is ready to play its part,” von der Leyen wrote.
Read the full article at Politico Europe →
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