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Hope to see lasting peace in West Asia: India welcomes US-Iran ceasefire

by Trans World Features | @twfindia 08 Apr 2026, 08:15 am

The Indian government has welcomed the two-week ceasefire reached between the US and Iran, giving a temporary relief to the region that witnessed an eruption of a severe crisis on February 28.

In a statement, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said: "We welcome the ceasefire reached and hope that it will lead to a lasting peace in West Asia. As we have continuously advocated earlier, deescalation, dialogue and diplomacy are essential to bring an early end to the ongoing conflict."

The MEA said 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," the statement said.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, stepping back from earlier threats of striking the country’s power plants and bridges.

Strait of Hormuz reopening key condition

He said Iran has agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the decision followed discussions with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir.

“Subject to Iran agreeing to the complete, immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz, I have agreed to suspend bombing and attacks on Iran for two weeks,” Trump wrote, calling it a “double-sided ceasefire”.

US claims military objectives achieved

Trump said the United States had “met and exceeded” its military objectives and was close to a long-term peace agreement with Iran.

“We have received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which we believe is a workable basis for negotiations. A two-week pause will allow the agreement to be finalised,” he said.

Earlier, Trump had warned of decisive military action if Tehran failed to meet a deadline tied to reopening the strait, saying the US could “take out” Iran in a single night, according to CNN.

Pakistan, Iran confirm ceasefire move

Reacting to the development, Sharif said on X that Iran and the United States, along with their allies, had agreed to an immediate ceasefire across multiple theatres, including Lebanon.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi confirmed Tehran’s acceptance, saying Iran would halt defensive operations if attacks ceased.