Macron warns Lebanon situation remains critical despite US-Iran ceasefire

The Strait of Hormuz must be open for passage again, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, calling a US-Iran ceasefire agreement a step back from the brink after weeks of escalation.

Kallas said the door to mediation must remain open because the underlying causes of the war remain unresolved. She also said she had spoken with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Her remarks came as international diplomats backed efforts to preserve the two-week ceasefire and prevent further disruption to shipping through the strategic waterway.

India is set to receive Iranian oil this week for the first time in seven years, according to ship-tracking data from LSEG and Kpler cited by Reuters.

The shipment follows a temporary US easing of sanctions on Iranian oil and refined products aimed at relieving supply shortages.

India’s oil ministry said last week that refiners had bought Iranian oil as the Middle East war disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Six people were arrested in North Khorasan province in northeastern Iran over alleged links to what the government considers “hostile networks,” according to the provincial prosecutor.

The prosecutor said the detainees had been in contact by phone and text message with opposition media outlets and acted against national security and national interests.

He said some of them had provided information, including videos and images from different locations, to the outlets.

According to the prosecutor, the material was meant to help Iran’s adversaries identify targets.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will hold talks with the UK’s allies on his trip to the Middle East on ensuring that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains permanent, the UK government said.

Starmer welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached between the United States and Iran overnight, saying it would bring a moment of relief to the region and the world.

The talks are part of wider diplomatic efforts to prevent renewed disruption in the strategic waterway and preserve the fragile truce.

Germany will take appropriate measures to help ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, as Berlin welcomed a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

Merz said the ceasefire must be a crucial first step toward a lasting peace.

He thanked Pakistan for brokering the agreement and said the aim in the coming days must be to negotiate a permanent end to the war through diplomatic channels.

He added that Germany supports diplomatic efforts and remains in close contact with the United States and other partners.