EU welcomes US-Iran ceasefire

EU leaders on Wednesday welcomed the two-week ‌ceasefire agreed by the United States and Iran.

"I welcome ​the ⁠two-week ceasefire the US and ‌Iran agreed last night. ‌It brings much needed de-escalation", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media platform ‌X, adding it was crucial negotiations continue for ⁠an enduring solution.

European Council President Costa added on X that he urged "all parties to uphold its terms in order to achieve sustainable peace in the region".

Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, ​said the ceasefire deal was "a step back from ‌the brink after weeks of escalation".

"It creates a much-needed chance to tone down threats, stop missiles, restart ⁠shipping, and create space for diplomacy towards a lasting agreement," she added.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced late ​on ‌Tuesday that he had agreed to a two-week ‌ceasefire with Iran, less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz ‌or face ‌devastating attacks on its ⁠civilian infrastructure.

The announcement late on Tuesday represented ‌an abrupt turnaround from his extraordinary warning earlier in the day, when he said "a whole ⁠civilization will die tonight" if ​his demands were not met.

Reuters