African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has welcomed the peace agreement between the United States and Iran, which ends months of conflict and could lead to the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
The AU said in a statement on Monday that Youssouf was confident that the agreement, if adhered to by all parties, would facilitate lasting peace and stability in the Middle East and beyond.
“The Chairperson encourages all parties to remain committed to the full implementation of the agreement and to continue advancing efforts that promote lasting peace, stability, and cooperation in the Middle East and beyond,” the statement said.
The agreement provides for the immediate cessation of military operations between the two countries and paves the way for the resumption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding that shipping through the waterway would resume without tolls and that the US naval blockade would be lifted.
Several countries and global organisations have expressed welcome to the newly reached memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran, calling for its full implementation for lasting peace.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the peace deal.
“This represents a critical step toward the peaceful settlement of the conflict,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
China also welcomed the MOU between the US and Iran, and appreciated Pakistan’s mediation efforts, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
“China hopes that the United States and Iran will sign the first-phase MoU on schedule, and that all relevant parties will remain committed to peaceful solutions and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation,” Lin said at a regular news briefing on Monday.
China is ready to work with the international community to continue playing an active role in restoring peace and tranquillity to the Middle East and Gulf region as soon as possible, he said.
In a joint statement on Sunday, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy also welcomed the US-Iran peace deal.
“This is a moment of opportunity to restore regional stability and stabilise the global economy,” the joint statement said.
While noting that Iran “must never acquire a nuclear weapon,” the major European countries said they are “prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to clear, verifiable steps by Iran on its nuclear program.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the deal and urged its swift and full implementation by all parties.
She said in a post on X that the deal should allow the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that freedom of navigation must be restored toll-free.
European Council President Antonio Costa also praised the deal, saying that he looked forward to an end to the war and to the full restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, said he hoped the development would mark an important step for bringing a definitive end to Iranian and Israeli attacks on Arab territories, and help create conditions conducive to launching a process aimed at ending the conflict and achieving lasting stability in the region.
He called on the parties involved to approach the next phase of negotiations on key issues in a positive spirit and work toward a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
MG/jn/APA