Stock markets surge following Iran ceasefire announcement, with world leaders welcoming ‘excellent’ information: Live updates

The world has begun praising the US-Iran ceasefire. France’s Emmanuel Macron this morning said the deal was a ‘very good thing’.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s foreign ministry hailed the US for ‘giving diplomacy a chance’ on Iran.

Stock markets around the world have rallied following Donald Trump’s 11th hour ceasefire announcement.

In Europe, Frankfurt surged a massive 5% at the opening of the market. Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 has risen by 2.55% since opening just a few minutes ago.

Over in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei index closed up more than 5% and South Korea’s Kospi nearly 7% on Wednesday

Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said the world was ‘perilously close’ to disaster after Trump threatened to wipe out Iran’s ‘entire civilisation.’

Albares told Spanish media that Trump’s ultimatum to Iran was ‘absolutely unacceptable for humankind.’

He added: ‘When the leader of a military superpower makes such threats, I take them seriously.’

US vice president JD Vance is set to join the speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, are expected to meet in Pakistan on Friday for talks.

The pair are set to meet in Islamabad, the capital of the mediating nation, to develop the dialogue between the nations.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, today insisted that the ‘underlying causes of the war remain unresolved’, adding that there is much more work that needs to be done.

Kallas, who serves as the vice-president of the European Commission, said that while the two-week ceasefire created a ‘much-needed chance to tone down threats… [the] oor to mediation must remain open.’

In a statement this morning, she said: ‘The US-Iran agreement on a ceasefire is a step back from the brink after weeks of escalation.

‘It creates a much-needed chance to tone down threats, stop missiles, restart shipping, and create space for diplomacy towards a lasting agreement.

‘The Strait of Hormuz must be open for passage again. I spoke to Pakistani foreign minister Ishaq Dar and thanked him for securing this initial deal.

‘The door to mediation must remain open, as the underlying causes of the war remain unresolved. The EU stands ready to support those efforts and is in touch with partners in the region. I will discuss this in Saudi Arabia today.’

An adviser to the president of the UAE said his nation ‘triumphed’ during the war in the Gulf, after coming under regular attacks from Iran.

Anwar Gargash said: ‘We prevailed through an epic national defence that safeguarded sovereignty and dignity and protected our achievements in the face of treacherous aggression.

‘Today, we move forward to manage a complex regional landscape with greater leverage, sharper insight, and a more solid capacity to influence and shape the future.’

The UAE said last night that since the outbreak of war, it has intercepted 2221 drones, 26 cruise missiles and 520 ballistic missiles sent by Iran.

The head of a global organisation representing airlines has warned that it will take months for jet fuel supplies to recover, even with the Strait of Hormuz opening up.

Mr Willie Walsh, director-general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said that while oil prices are likely to fall, jet fuel will remain high because many refineries have been affected.

He said: ‘If it were to reopen and remain open, I think it will still take a period of months to get back to where supply needs to be, given the disruption to the refining capacity in the Middle East, which is a critical part of the global supply of refined products, and not just jet fuel for other products as well.’