Germany welcomes 2-week ceasefire between US, Iran

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran.

"I welcome the two-week ceasefire agreed by the United States and Iran last night. We thank Pakistan for its mediation," Merz wrote on US social media platform X.

He noted that the aim is now to negotiate a "lasting end to the war."

"We are in close coordination with our partners on this matter," Merz added.

US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he agreed "to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks."

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who played a key role in brokering the ceasefire, announced on X that he invited Iranian and US delegations to Islamabad on Friday and said Washington and Tehran, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire across all conflict zones, including Lebanon.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,400 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. It has also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.