Albares welcomes US-Iran agreement and calls for the same for Lebanon

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares welcomed on Monday the announcement of an agreement between the United States and Iran to end the conflict and allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which had been closed to maritime traffic for over one hundred days. “I welcome the announcement of the agreement between the United States and Iran,” the minister posted on social media. “I appreciate the efforts of the mediators,” he continued. “Free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is essential,” he warned. This agreement, Albares noted, demonstrates that “dialogue and negotiation can resolve outstanding issues and guarantee a ceasefire, also in Lebanon.” Speaking to reporters before participating this Monday in the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Luxembourg, Albares stated that “the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran is excellent news, which we welcome.” “Dialogue and diplomacy can resolve all outstanding issues, especially Iran’s civilian use of nuclear energy,” he affirmed. “Obviously, Iran cannot acquire an atomic bomb,” he warned. “Europe played a very important role in the past” in the “Iranian nuclear dossier,” when it contributed to the adoption of an agreement with Tehran “that guaranteed that Iran would not use nuclear energy to equip itself with a nuclear bomb,” and “it can play that role again,” he added. According to the minister, “this agreement must guarantee freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which must be safe, free, and without any economic burden at all times, and completely free for any country.” “Spain also congratulates the mediators, especially Pakistan. I have already done so with the Pakistani Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, with whom I was in contact this morning, and I thanked him for all his efforts,” Albares continued. “I have assured him that Spain will continue to support this ceasefire and all mediation efforts, as it has done so far, and that we will certainly continue working to ensure that diplomacy and negotiation guarantee peace,” he added. Regarding whether Spain would be willing to send any ships to the Strait of Hormuz to guarantee freedom of navigation, as other countries have announced, Albares simply reiterated that the agreement is “in a very early stage.” “Therefore, let’s not get ahead of ourselves; it is enough to consolidate this agreement at this time, and the time will come to analyze everything else,” he added. “From there, we must analyze the other steps.” On the other hand, Albares warned that it is necessary “to go beyond the Gulf region and look at the entire Middle East,” because “this is a great opportunity for the Middle East to move towards peace and stability,” he warned. Therefore, it is necessary “that the ceasefire also extends to Lebanon and that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a sovereign country like Lebanon be guaranteed.” The agreement The announcement of the agreement was first made by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and was confirmed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian state media. “Iran has officially forced the US-Israeli enemy to end the war on all fronts,” Iranian state television stated. Representatives from both sides will meet on Friday, June 19, in Switzerland to sign the agreement. The exact text is currently unknown, but Iranian officials have indicated that the agreement will be published once signed. This Saturday, Donald Trump announced (coinciding with his 80th birthday) that both sides would reach an agreement the following day that “will bring peace and security to the entire region.” He also asserted (via social media) that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen on June 19, once representatives from the United States and Iran have formally signed the agreement. Before the blockade, imposed on February 28 following the US and Israeli offensive against Iran, approximately one-fifth of the world's total oil supply, more than 100 million barrels per day, passed through the strait. Nearly 600 ships remain stranded in the Persian Gulf awaiting passage, and hundreds more are waiting on the other side, according to the data intelligence firm Kpler.

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