India's First Response To US-Iran Ceasefire: Truce Will Lead To 'Lasting Peace In West Asia'

New Delhi: India on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of ceasefire between the United States and Iran, expressing hope for lasting peace in the West Asian region.

In its first response after the truce, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated its earlier message of "de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy" and said it hopes the ceasefire will lead to long-term stability. "We welcome the ceasefire reached and hope that it will lead to a lasting peace in West Asia. As we have continuously advocated earlier, de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy are essential to bring an early end to the ongoing conflict," said MEA.

The ministry noted that the conflict has caused "immense suffering" and disrupted global energy supply and trade networks. It also stressed the importance of ensuring unimpeded freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of global commerce through the Strait of Hormuz.

"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 Ministry added.

The government statement comes amid significant developments in West Asia, with both Iran and the United States signalling a two-week pause in hostilities.

Iran has indicated its willingness to halt its military response, provided attacks against it are stopped. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced a temporary two-week opening of the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz, allowing vessels to pass safely, subject to coordination with Iranian authorities and operational conditions.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a conditional two-week pause in planned military escalation against Iran, linking it to the reopening of the key shipping route.

The decision came shortly before a self-imposed deadline set by Trump for Iran to reach an agreement. In a post on Truth Social, he said the US would suspend escalation for two weeks if Iran agrees to reopen the Strait. He also described the development as a "double-sided ceasefire" following backchannel diplomacy involving Pakistan.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced this morning that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, effective immediately.

"I warmly welcome the sagacious gesture and extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes. Both parties have displayed remarkable wisdom and understanding and have remained constructively engaged in furthering the cause of peace and stability. We earnestly hope, that the ‘Islamabad Talks’ succeed in achieving sustainable peace and wish to share more good news in coming days!" Sharif said in a post on X.