European Countries Welcome Iran-US Ceasefire Agreement

Moscow (ANTARA) - Several European countries have welcomed the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, according to statements on social media cited by RIA Novosti in Moscow on Wednesday.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, for instance, welcomed the ceasefire and committed to ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

“We welcome the fact that the United States and Iran, after important mediation efforts by, among others, Pakistan, have agreed to a joint ceasefire for two weeks, which can also create conditions for restoring free passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Stenergard wrote on X.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also welcomed the two-week ceasefire, hoping that this positive development could end the conflict permanently.

Merz expressed his thanks to Pakistan for mediating the agreement.

He stated that the US-Iran talks contribute to protecting Iranian civilians as well as security in the Middle East.

The talks, he added, can also prevent a global energy crisis.

In a similar vein, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide welcomed the agreement, stating that it opens opportunities for diplomacy.

“I welcome the temporary ceasefire between Iran and the United States. This gives diplomacy a chance at a time when the world is on the brink of dangerous escalation,” the minister said on X.

On Tuesday night local time, US President Donald Trump announced that he had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire for two weeks with Iran, and stated that Iran also agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council then stated that Tehran would begin talks with the US on Friday in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.