India welcomed the decision of the US-Iran ceasefire for two weeks and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. New Delhi called for "de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy" to ensure lasting peace in West Asia.
"We welcome the ceasefire reached and hope that it will lead to lasting peace in West Asia. As we have continuously advocated earlier, de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy are essential to bring an early end to the ongoing conflict," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
"The conflict has already caused immense suffering to people and disrupted global energy supply and trade networks. We expect that unimpeded freedom of navigation and global flow of commerce would prevail through the Strait of Hormuz," it added.
Iran and the US have agreed on a conditional ceasefire that includes the opening of the Strait of Hormuz for shipping.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer begins a visit to the Gulf region on Wednesday to discuss diplomatic efforts to support and uphold the ceasefire agreed between the US and Iran overnight.
Starmer is set to reiterate the UK’s commitment to de-escalation and hold further discussions on practical efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, following what his office referred to as “promising progress” as a result of the ceasefire.
“I welcome the ceasefire agreement reached overnight, which will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world,” said Starmer.
“Together with our partners we must do all we can to support and sustain this ceasefire, turn it into a lasting agreement and reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
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