TEHRAN, Jun 15: Iran's deputy foreign minister said the country had "won great victories" in the war against the United States, speaking as the sides announced an agreement to immediately end the conflict.
"The enemy that had attacked to carry out its evil aims was defeated in all its aims and the Islamic Republic of Iran won great victories in the war," deputy minister KazemGharibabadi said in televised comments in the early hours of Monday.
Iran's military said Monday it had "humiliated" the United States and Israel, in a statement issued after an agreement to immediately end the conflict was announced.
Iranian forces "have, through the imposition of their divine and iron will upon the humiliated American and Zionist enemies, demonstrated with strength that the enemy has no path other than accepting defeat and surrender", the general staff said in the statement broadcast by state television.
The United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy said they were prepared to lift sanctions imposed on Iran, according to a joint statement Sunday, welcoming an agreement reached between the Washington and Tehran to end the war in the Middle East.
"We are prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to clear, verifiable steps by Iran on its nuclear programme. We will work intensively with the US, Iran and regional partners to seize this moment, maintain momentum and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement," the joint statement read.
"Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. We stand ready to work with the US, Iran and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) to this end."
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday warned Iran against imposing tolls on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, saying "everything" should be done so fees are not charged for passage through the key bottleneck.
Iran's Fars news agency reported earlier that Tehran added a clause on imposing maritime service fees to the framework deal with the United States on ending the Middle East war, shortly before its announcement.
"We defend international law and we will do everything in our power to ensure there is no toll," Macron told TF1 television ahead of the G7 summit in France, set to be attended by US President Donald Trump.�"AFP
