Nicosia, Cyprus. Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos described the agreement signed by Iran and the United States to halt the war between the two countries as an important step toward strengthening regional stability. He made the remarks during a telephone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on Thursday.
Cyprus welcomes agreement
Kombos said in a social media post that he had welcomed the deal signed on Thursday by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump. He added that he and Araghchi had underlined the importance of continued dialogue and diplomatic engagement.
Statements from Tehran and Washington
After the signing, Trump rejected criticism that he had not been firm enough with Iran, saying in a social media post that “these fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the stock market just hit a record high and oil prices are ‘tumbling’ down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid”.
Pezeshkian described the agreement as a “historic document” and said that “peace will be achieved through mutual respect”.
Terms of the deal
According to the text of the agreement, Iran and the United States, “and their allies in the current war”, declared “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.
The agreement also provides that a “final deal” to secure a “permanent termination” of the war will be reached within 60 days, before August 17.
It further states that Iran will “make arrangements using its best efforts for the sage passage of commercial vessels” through the Strait of Hormuz during that 60-day period.
Early signs of strain
The agreement has already shown signs of strain. Al Jazeera reported that Israel had continued strikes on Lebanon despite the deal, with at least three people killed.
Reuters quoted a senior official close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that Israel has “no intention of backing down on its positions” regarding continued military action in Lebanon and that it is “conducting stubborn negotiations” with the United States over the issue.
Iranian warning over Lebanon
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei warned that “the continuation of the Zionist entity’s attacks on Lebanon will be a violation of the pledges contained” in Thursday’s agreement.
“The Zionist entity does not want to provide any opportunity for any diplomatic path to calm the situation in our region,” he told Lebanese news website Al Akhbar.
