Kremlin welcomes US-Iran ceasefire, hopes direct contacts will take place 'in coming days'

The Kremlin on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.

"Against the backdrop of yesterday's rather harsh statements from various sides ... we, of course, were pleased with this news of a ceasefire and welcome the decision not to continue down the path of armed escalation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Peskov said Moscow hopes direct contacts between delegations from both countries will take place "in the coming days," adding that each side will be able to defend its interests at the negotiating table.

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

The announcement came less than two hours before a deadline Trump had set for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept an agreement or face what he described as the destruction of "a whole civilization."

Regional tensions escalated after the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

Tehran also restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which it has agreed to reopen as part of the ceasefire deal.