Albares welcomes the US-Iran agreement and calls for the EU to “once again play an important role” in Tehran’s nuclear program

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.” For his part, the national spokesperson for the People's Party (PP), Borja Sémper, celebrated the agreement between the United States and Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. "We have always maintained that this war should never have happened, much less under the circumstances and in the way it did," he declared at a press conference following the meeting of the PP's steering committee, chaired by its leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo. 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. “The agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” the US president announced in a message on his own social media platform, Truth Social. “I hereby fully authorize the toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz and, simultaneously, authorize the immediate lifting of the US naval blockade,” he continued. “Ships of the world, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” he concluded. “With the strait now open following the signing of the agreement on Friday, for the purpose of mine clearance, oil will once again flow in both directions for the region and the world,” he wrote in a subsequent message. 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. European Union The European Union has also welcomed the agreement between Washington and Tehran to end hostilities and has urged the parties to implement it swiftly, as well as to immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that “the priority now is its swift and full implementation by all parties” and stressed the importance of the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and guaranteeing freedom of navigation without tolls. “This is essential for regional stability and the global economy,” she affirmed. According to von der Leyen, the agreement opens the door to broader negotiations on peace and security in the Middle East and “should put an end to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its destabilizing activities in the region.” “There can be no peace in the Middle East while Lebanon burns,” warned the German leader, who called on all parties to “respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and implement a genuine ceasefire.” Von der Leyen also noted that the G7 leaders will meet with Gulf and Middle Eastern partners at their summit this week in Evian, and reiterated that “Europe is ready to play its part.” “This crisis also carries a clear lesson,” she acknowledged: “once again, energy dependencies have been exploited.” In that regard, she urged the bloc to diversify supply routes and develop alternative export corridors to “move away from the Hormuz bottleneck.” The President of the European Council, António Costa, praised the “tireless diplomatic efforts of all those who made this agreement possible” and stated that “the guns must now fall silent, and the remaining differences must be resolved by peaceful means, in accordance with international law.” He added that “the European Union is ready to contribute to the advancement of a comprehensive strategy for lasting peace throughout the Middle East.” For her part, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas stated at the press conference following the EU Economic and Social Council meeting in Luxembourg that the agreement could help "lead to deeper negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program and other critical issues." "The most difficult phase of the negotiations is still to come," and therefore, "EU foreign ministers discussed today how the EU can be closely involved in the next phase," she explained. "From economic leverage to nuclear expertise, the EU is ready to contribute to a sustainable resolution," she affirmed. "The ministers commended the diplomatic efforts of the mediators, especially Pakistan and Qatar, and of the regional partners who made the agreement possible," she concluded. Specifically, the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) took “note of the recently announced framework agreement between the United States and Iran to extend the current ceasefire for a period of 60 days and restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which should remain open and toll-free,” and stressed the need to “continue working to curb Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.” The EU foreign ministers also assessed the scope of and coordination with partner countries, including the High Representative’s recent visit to Pakistan and contacts with the Gulf states.

Related Content

Spain to propose a “strong and robust” EU mission to take over from UNIFIL in Lebanon

Venezuela's new ambassador, Timoteo Zambrano, has arrived in Spain

Spanish Foreign Minister condemns Russian attack on Kyiv-Petchersk Cathedral in Ukraine

Picardo assures UN that the EU Treaty leaves sovereignty “entirely aside”

The MFF, the Middle East and Ukraine will mark Sánchez and Albares' first major European week without Orbán