EU welcomes US-Iran ceasefire, urges efforts to create lasting agreement

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BRUSSELS – European leaders on April 8 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 X, adding it was crucial negotiations continue for an enduring solution.

European Council president Antonio Costa said on X that he urged “all parties to uphold its terms in order to achieve sustainable peace in the region”.

Ms 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.

US President Donald Trump announced late on April 7 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 represented ​an abrupt turnaround from his extraordinary warning earlier in the day, when he said “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if his demands were not met. REUTERS