‘A step back from the brink’: EU welcomes US-Iran ceasefire
The agreement of a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States is “a step back from the brink after weeks of escalation”, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, says.
The ceasefire “creates a much-needed chance to tone down threats, stop missiles, restart shipping, and create space for diplomacy towards a lasting agreement”, she said in a post on X on Wednesday morning.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen also welcomed the announcement, describing it as bringing “much-needed de-escalation”. “Now it is crucial that negotiations for an enduring solution to this conflict continue,” she posted on X. “We will continue coordinating with our partners to this end.
Kallas also said she had spoken to the Pakistani Foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, and thanked him for his work in brokering the agreement. “The door to mediation must remain open, as the underlying causes of the war remain unresolved,” she added.
Kallas is due to travel to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and Thursday, where she will meet the minister of Foreign Affairs and the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Belgium’s Foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, is also due to visit the Middle East this week.
Iranians rally in Tehran 40 days after a deadly strike on a school in the southern city of Minab © PHOTO AFP
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