World leaders welcomed on Monday the announcement of a framework for a US-Iran deal to end hostilities and kickstart peace talks, as US President Donald Trump headed to the French Alps for the Group of Seven summit.

Saudi Arabia, which was targeted by Iran during the war, welcomed “the agreement reached between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran to end military operations and initiate detailed negotiations within 60 days to reach a permanent agreement.”

The Saudi ministry of foreign affairs insisted that a lasting peace deal would be one “that takes into consideration the security interests of regional states, sticking to the principle of non-interference in the interior affairs of other countries.”

Qatar’s foreign ministry, also targeted by the Islamic Republic, expressed its “full support for all efforts and initiatives aimed at enhancing regional security and stability.”

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who sparked a war of words with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week when he said that Israeli “aggression” posed a threat to the whole world, stressed “the need to avoid rhetoric, provocations, and actions that could escalate tensions in the period leading up to the signing of the agreement, and to remain vigilant against possible sabotage.”

Other nations focused on the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while emphasizing that Iran must not be permitted to have nuclear weapons.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for “the urgent and unconditional reopening” of the key waterway, adding that France and the........

© The Times of Israel