War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Lebanon’s army has urged displaced residents to delay their return to southern border villages, hours after an agreement was announced between Washington and Tehran to end the Middle East war, including in Lebanon, AFP reports.

“The army command emphasises the need for residents to delay returning to southern border villages and towns, and to adhere to instructions of the deployed army units, in order to safeguard their safety from the risk of Israeli violations and attacks,” a statement said.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has welcomed the announcement of an agreement between the United States and Iran, congratulating Pakistan, Qatar and other mediators for helping facilitate the breakthrough.

“This agreement paves the way for ending the war and opening the Strait of Hormuz, which will have a significant impact on the region and the global economy,” he wrote on X.

“I urge all involved to take advantage of the situation and find a lasting solution to the conflict in accordance with international law.”

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has welcomed the US-Iran agreement, while commending mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye and others.

“We do hope that this significant development will pave the way for a comprehensive and lasting peace across the Middle East,” he said on X.

The United Arab Emirates has called for full implementation of the US-Iran preliminary deal to end their war, including an immediate halt to hostilities and ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reports, citing the foreign ministry.

The ministry statement stressed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and adherence to international law following the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.

The UAE was affected by the conflict, with Iranian strikes hitting shipping and energy infrastructure linked to the country during the war.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has expressed hope that a deal between Washington and Tehran to end the Middle East war would put a “definitive end” to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, according to AFP.

In a statement issued by his office, Aoun praised the memorandum’s affirmation that “Lebanon’s security and safety are an integral part of any effort to consolidate stability in the region”.

The Lebanese people “look forward to these understandings transforming into practical steps that put a definitive end to the cycle of violence and establish a phase of stability, security, recovery and reconstruction,” the statement added.

Saudi Arabia has welcomed the US-Iran agreement, while urging both parties to begin detailed negotiations within 60 days to reach a permanent agreement, Anadolu Agency reports.

In its statement, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry has praised mediation efforts by Pakistan and Qatar, as well as the response of the US and Iran to those efforts.

It further stressed the importance of restoring security and navigation in the Strait of Hormuz to the level that existed before February 28, and said it hopes peace will be achieved in a way that strengthens regional and global security.

The kingdom added that a permanent agreement should take into account the security interests of countries in the region.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has received a report that a container vessel was approached and fired upon by a small skiff 14 nautical miles south off the coast of Yemen, with an attempted boarding, Reuters reports.

It stated that authorities are investigating, and advised vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has welcomed the peace deal between the US and Iran, saying the “breakthrough shows that diplomacy can succeed where confrontation can’t”.

He commended the “dedicated efforts” of President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, CDF Field Marshal Asim Munir, DPM/FM Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the diplomatic teams who helped make the agreement possible.

“This is an important first step toward lasting peace. Pakistan remains ready to support the next phase of dialogue and negotiations,” he said in a social media post on X.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed the newly reached agreement between the United States and Iran, thanking Pakistan, Qatar and other regional partners for their “indispensable” role in facilitating negotiations.

In a post on X, Carney wrote, “Canada has been clear that a durable ceasefire must both ensure safe and unimpeded transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and address the pervasive threat of Iran’s nuclear program.”

He urged all parties to refrain from escalation and maintain good faith dialogue.

“Canada remains in close contact with partners and is ready to support efforts to bring stability and lasting peace to the region, including in Lebanon.”

China has called for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while praising Pakistan’s role in mediating the negotiations between the US and Iran, Anadolu reports.

“The Strait of Hormuz is an important strait for international passage,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing. “We hope the strait can resume opening as soon as possible.”

In response to a question, Jian said: “China welcomes US and Iran reaching the agreement on text of an initial memorandum of understanding and commends Pakistan’s mediation efforts.”

Lebanon’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nabih Berri, who is also the leader of the Amal Movement in Lebanon, has praised the deal agreed between Iran and the US and thanked the two countries for including Lebanon in it, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement posted on the official page of the Amal Movement, Berri “extended his thanks and appreciation to the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America and their leadership for their adherence and insistence on including in the agreed-upon memorandum a fundamental and binding provision to halt the Israeli aggression on all of Lebanon”.

According to Al Jazeera, Berri added that he hopes this preserves Lebanon’s “sovereignty over its entire territory… and avoids falling into the trap set by the Israeli political echelon under Netanyahu’s leadership”.

Dutch Foreign Minister ​Tom Berendsen has thanked Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey for their role as mediators in the agreement between the US and Iran, saying that it is a “hopeful step toward stability in the region, including Lebanon.”

“It is essential that free passage through the Strait of Hormuz is quickly restored,” he said on X. “[The Netherlands] stands ready to contribute to this.”

Kuwait has appreciated the Memorandum of Understanding reached between the US and Iran, while commending Pakistan and Qatar’s efforts in reaching the agreement.

The agreement “stipulates an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations, ensures freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and addresses a number of issues,” Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on X.

The statement added that Pakistan, Qatar and other “brotherly and friendly countries” contributed to “bridging viewpoints and creating the conditions” for reaching the “important understanding”.

“The Ministry calls on all parties to engage in the forthcoming negotiations with a positive and constructive spirit, in a manner that supports efforts aimed at enhancing cooperation, consolidating stability, and achieving prosperity for the peoples of the region and the world,” the statement said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that while the signing ceremony of an agreement reached between the US and Iran — aimed at ending a war that began three months ago — would be held in Geneva, it would be hosted by Pakistan.

“The [signing] ceremony of this historic agreement will be held on Friday, June 19, in Geneva, and by the grace of God, it will be hosted by Pakistan,” he said while addressing a National Assembly session after he announced the agreement past midnight on Monday.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed the US-Iran peace agreement, expressing hope that it will restore peace and stability in the region and “ensure the freedom of navigation and commerce.”

In a post on X, he said the conflict caused serious economic disruption across the world and led to loss of life in many countries.

“We look forward to deliberations on the remaining issues reaching a sustainable final agreement,” Modi said.

According to AFP, Israel’s defence minister says that Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza indefinitely, hours after the United States and Iran agreed to end the war, including in Lebanon.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are pursuing a clear policy under which the IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza for an unlimited period of time, in order to protect the border and Israeli communities from there against jihadist elements,” Israel Katz said in a statement.

Katz also warned Iran that if it attacked Israel in response to its campaign in Lebanon, Israel would retaliate with “full force”.

Lebanon has not been informed of details of an agreement between the United States and Iran to end the Middle East war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, AFP reports, citing an “official source”.

Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni has thanked Pakistan and Qatar for helping broker the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, calling it an “opportunity for peace that must be seized.”

In a statement on X, she said Italy, alongside France, Germany and the United Kingdom, welcomed the agreement and appreciated the role of mediators, “in particular Qatar and Pakistan,” in making it possible.

She reiterated that Iran “cannot acquire nuclear weapons” and stressed the need to guarantee freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

“We are ready, together with the other partners and subject to the necessary parliamentary authorisation, to contribute to an international naval presence to accompany the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” Meloni said.

Foreign Minister of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi has conveyed his country’s “deep appreciation and commendation” for Pakistan’s “sustained mediatory role and constructive efforts” that helped facilitate and advance an agreement between the US and Iran.

According to a Foreign Office statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and FM Motegi welcomed the understanding reached between the two countries in a phone call, “noting its significance for regional stability and the broader international community”.

“Both sides reaffirmed the importance of continued diplomatic engagement and the need to maintain close contact and regular exchanges to further strengthen bilateral relations and coordination on issues of mutual interest,” the statement added.

The United States and Iran are to hold indirect meetings in Doha this week ahead of the formal signing of a deal aimed at ending the Middle East war, a diplomat told AFP on Monday.

“Separate preparatory meetings with each side will now take place in Doha this week, ahead of the official signing in Switzerland and the start of the technical talks,” the diplomat said.

According to AFP’s source, Qatari mediators had departed Tehran after “17 hours of intensive negotiations”, which began on Sunday and culminated in an agreement being reached.

UK High Commissioner Jane Marriott has thanked Pakistan for its “consistent, patient and impressive role” in the US-Iran negotiation process.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, for their contributions to the US-Iran agreement.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, “There is no doubt we are passing through historic times”.

“The leadership of Pakistan — PM Shehbaz, CDF Munir and his team — resolved the sensitive matter with wisdom and patience,” Asif said.

Asif also congratulated the Iranian leadership “for leading the Iranian nation in such difficult circumstances”.

He remarked that Pakistan would have achieved “many milestones if such cooperation had existed between Rawalpindi and Islamabad as well”.

Yair Golan, the leader of the centre-left Democrats, has slammed the agreement, Al Jazeera reports.

“In one signature stroke, immense military achievements secured with the courage of our pilots and the blood of our fighters have been erased, while Netanyahu stood on the sidelines – weak, ill, isolated, and powerless,” he said in a social media post.

Golan called the deal “the culmination of many years of failure,” adding that Netanyahu is “ending his tenure with Israel’s enemies stronger, Israel weaker, and the deterrence built with the blood of our fighters eroding before our eyes.”

France’s president has said that a military mission set up by Paris and Britain to help with Strait of Hormuz traffic was ready to deploy, following the announcement of a deal to end the Middle East war, AFP reports.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is due to host US counterpart Donald Trump for a G7 meeting, has said that the UK-France mission’s “assets are in place and ready to be deployed.”

“The resumption of maritime traffic, without restrictions or tolls, is an essential condition for regional stability and the global economy,” he said in a post on X.

The bloc’s foreign policy chief says the agreement “can give much-needed space for deeper negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme and other critical issues,” Al Jazeera reports.

“Once implemented, the deal should also ease the global energy crisis,” Kallas said, adding that the EU “stands ready to contribute to a sustainable resolution”.

Meanwhile, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the deal, saying: “The priority now is its swift and full implementation by all parties.”

She said that the freedom of navigation should be restored in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that it is “essential for regional stability and the global economy”.

The head of the bloc’s executive body added that the deal “should end Iran’s nuclear and ballistic programmes and its destabilising activities in the region” and called on Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity to be respected.