Iran updates: World leaders express optimism for peace deal
06/15/2026 June 15, 2026 European leaders express cautious optimism European leaders welcomed the news of a ceasefire deal between the US and Iran but stressed
06/15/2026 June 15, 2026 European leaders express cautious optimism European leaders welcomed the news of a ceasefire deal between the US and Iran but stressed the announcement must be followed by action. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the "priority now is its swift and full implementation." She called for the immediate resumption of toll-free transit through the Strait of Hormuz, an end to Iran's nuclear program, and for the ceasefire to apply in Lebanon where Israel has been conducting strikes against Hezbollah.
"Of course there can be no peace in the Middle East while Lebanon is in flames," von der Leyen said. "Once again Europe calls on all parties to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity and implement a genuine ceasefire." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also welcomed the announcement but work must still be done to secure a lasting peace.
"Obviously, nothing is guaranteed, but it is, I think, a significant breakthrough, a very significant breakthrough," Starmer told a press conference on Monday morning. "Hopefully, something which as we work together we can turn into that enduring peace that we all want
to see." The comments on Monday follow earlier reactions from the likes of Germany's Friedrich Merz, who stressed the deal must be implemented with "determination," and France's Emmanuel Macron, who similarly called for the "swift and full implementation" of the agreed-upon terms.
The BriefWire