A man flashes the V-sign while driving a vehicle loaded with belongings through the al-Qassmieh area en route to southern Lebanon early on April 8, 2026, after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. (Credit: Kawnat HAJU / AFP)
After the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week cease-fire in an 11th-hour bid to avert all-out destruction threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump, here are some of the reactions which started pouring in from leaders across the world:
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez celebrated the announcement of a two-week cease-fire between the United States and Iran on Wednesday but criticized U.S. administration — without explicitly naming it — for having initiated the hostilities. "The Spanish government will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they turn up with a bucket," Sanchez wrote on his X account. Sanchez said cease-fires were always welcome news, but added that "momentary relief must not make us forget the chaos, the destruction and the lives lost" while calling for "diplomacy, international law and PEACE" to prevail.
Regarding Lebanon, Jose Manuel Albares, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, told public radio RNE that "All fronts must cease, and all fronts also means Lebanon. It is unacceptable that Israel's war, Israel's invasion of a sovereign country like Lebanon ... continues."
China's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, said the country "welcomes relevant parties announcing the reaching of a ceasefire agreement," without addressing Trump's comments directly. "We have repeatedly introduced the efforts made by China," she said, noting that Foreign Minister Wang Yi had held 26 calls with counterparts from relevant countries while Beijing's Middle East envoy had "shuttled across" the war-torn region. Beijing would "continue to make efforts to ease the situation and achieve a complete end to the war."
India said on Wednesday it welcomed the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, and reiterated that de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy are essential to bring an early end to the conflict. "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," India's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Turkey welcomed a cease-fire in the Iran war and said it would support negotiations set to take place in Islamabad, the Turkish foreign ministry said on Wednesday. "We insist on the fact that the temporary cease-fire be fully implemented on the ground and hope that all sides abide by the agreement," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas Wednesday welcomed the two-week cease-fire between the United States and Iran as a "step back from the brink" creating a "much-needed chance to tone down threats, stop missiles, restart shipping, and create space for diplomacy towards a lasting agreement," Kallas wrote on X. "The EU stands ready to support those efforts and is in touch with partners in the region," added Kallas, who was due in Riyadh Wednesday for talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Gulf Cooperation Council secretary-general Jassem al-Budaiwi and others.
Meanwhile, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday also welcomed "the two-week cease-fire the U.S. and Iran agreed last night. It brings much needed de-escalation," she said, adding it was crucial negotiations continue for an enduring solution.
