Paris (France) (AFP) – The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with both sides claiming victory. Here are reactions from across the globe:
– **Pakistan** – “I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY,” Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on X. Israel said later, however, that the two-week ceasefire “does not include Lebanon.”
– **United Nations** – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire, his spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the UN chief “calls on all the parties to the current conflict in the Middle East to comply with their obligations under international law and to abide by the terms of the ceasefire in order to pave the way toward a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region.”
– **Pope** – “I welcome with satisfaction, and as a sign of real hope, the announcement of an immediate two-week truce. Only by returning to negotiations can we reach the end of the war,” the Catholic leader said at the end of his weekly audience at the Vatican.
– **Lebanon** – Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the truce, adding that Beirut “continued efforts to ensure that the regional peace includes Lebanon in a stable and lasting manner.”
– **Qatar, UAE, Oman** – Qatar’s foreign ministry said the truce was “an initial step toward de-escalation” and urged Iran “to immediately cease all hostile acts and practices that undermine regional stability.” United Arab Emirates presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said in a post on X that “The UAE emerged victorious from a war we sincerely sought to avoid.” Oman’s foreign ministry underlined “the importance of intensifying efforts at this juncture to identify solutions capable of resolving the crisis at its roots and achieving a permanent cessation of the state of war.”
– **Saudi Arabia** – The Saudi foreign ministry said it hoped the truce “will represent an opportunity to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable de-escalation, enhancing the security of the region, and that any attacks or policies that undermine the sovereignty, security and stability of the countries in the region will cease.”
– **Iraq** – Iraq’s foreign ministry said on X it welcomed the ceasefire and “calls for building upon this positive step by launching serious and sustainable dialogue tracks that address the root causes of the disputes and strengthen mutual trust.” The president of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region said, “I hope all parties will uphold this commitment in good faith and work towards a lasting peace that promotes stability, security, and prosperity throughout the entire region.”
– **Turkey** – “We insist on the fact that the temporary ceasefire be fully implemented on the ground and hope that all sides abide by the agreement,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
– **Egypt** – In an overnight call with US envoy Steve Witkoff, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty “expressed his deep appreciation for this important American step to give diplomacy a chance and start a serious process of American-Iranian negotiations.”
– **Israel opposition** – Israel’s main opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized the ceasefire with Iran, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to achieve the war’s objectives. “There has never been a political disaster like this in our entire history. Israel was not even close to the table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security,” Lapid wrote on X. The head of the left-wing Democrats party, Yair Golan, called the truce a “strategic failure” by Netanyahu, a “total failure that endangers Israel’s security for years to come.”
– **European Union** – The truce “creates a much-needed chance to tone down threats, stop missiles, restart shipping, and create space for diplomacy towards a lasting agreement,” EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas wrote on X.
– **Britain, France, Germany** – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the truce “will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world” as he headed to the region. French President Emmanuel Macron called the ceasefire “a very good thing” and that Paris hoped it “will be fully respected throughout the region” and that it “fully includes Lebanon.” Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged a “durable end to the war in the next days,” adding “this can only be achieved by diplomacy.”
– **Spain** – Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez welcomed the US-Iran ceasefire as “good news” on X but said Spain would not “applaud those who set fire to the world because they show up with a bucket.” Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told public radio RNE that: “All fronts must cease, and all fronts also means Lebanon.”
– **Ukraine** – President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Ukrainian military teams helping Middle East countries counter Iranian drone attacks would stay in the region. Ukraine’s foreign minister wrote on social media that “American decisiveness works. We believe it is time for sufficient decisiveness to force Moscow to cease fire and end its war against Ukraine.”
– **Japan** – “The most important thing is that concrete steps will be taken to de-escalate the situation, including ensuring the safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” Japanese government spokesman Minoru Kihara said. The world’s fourth-largest economy is the fifth biggest importer of oil, with around 70 percent coming through the vital waterway before the war.
© 2024 AFP
