World leaders welcome two-week ceasefire, hope for lasting peace
Global reactions poured in on Wednesday after Iran and the United States agreed to a two-week ceasefire in a joint war launched by Washington and Tel Aviv against Tehran on February 28.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire mediated by Pakistan but urged all parties to work toward long-term peace in the Middle East.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the two-week ceasefire would bring much-needed de-escalation and called for an enduring solution.
European Council President Costa 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”.
Pope Leo on Wednesday praised the ceasefire, hours after calling US President Donald Trump’s threat against the population of Iran “unacceptable.”
The pope, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the war in recent weeks, said he welcomed the announcement of the ceasefire with satisfaction and urged continued negotiation to bring a full end to the regional conflict.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the United States, Iran and their allies had agreed to a ceasefire “everywhere”, including Lebanon.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia received the news of a truce with satisfaction.
“We welcome the decision not to proceed further down the path of armed escalation.”
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the ceasefire and said about 15 countries were planning to facilitate the resumption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil supply usually flows.
Japan said that “concrete steps” were needed to de-escalate the crisis, including ensuring the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We hope the final agreement will be reached through diplomacy at an early date,” Japanese government spokesman Minoru Kihara said.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry hoped the ceasefire would bring about the safe passage of all vessels, including its own, through the Hormuz Strait.
Australia cautioned that the longer the war draws on “the more significant the impact on the global economy will be, and the greater the human cost”.
“Australia wants to see the ceasefire upheld and a resolution to the conflict,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the ceasefire, while criticising the rhetoric of Trump who had threatened that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if his demands were not met.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to use language such as that from the president of the United States, and I think it will cause some concern,” Albanese said.
While supporting US attacks on Iran in the early days of the war, Albanese has expressed unease about the conflict in recent weeks.
New Zealand welcomed the ceasefire but warned that there remains “significant work” to be done to secure peace.
“New Zealand will stand in support of all efforts to bring about a lasting, durable end to this conflict,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ spokesperson said.
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry called for “serious and sustainable dialogue” between the US and Iran.