UK, France, Germany, and Italy Ready to Offer Sanctions Relief After US-Iran Deal

The United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy on June 15 welcomed the U.S-Iran peace deal and said they are prepared to lift sanctions on Iran once the country takes steps to curb its nuclear program.

The United States and Iran reached an agreement on June 14 to end the war, with a signing ceremony scheduled for June 19 in Switzerland.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said both sides have declared “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon” as part of the agreement.

The E4 nations—the UK, France, Germany, and Italy—issued a joint statement after the announcement to express their readiness to support the implementation of the U.S.-Iran peace agreement once it is signed.

“It is now vital that the detailed negotiations are concluded and this agreement is implemented rapidly and comprehensively,” they said.

“We will work intensively with the U.S., Iran and regional partners to seize this moment, maintain momentum, and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement.”

The nations said Tehran must not be allowed to possess nuclear weapon capabilities and that they were prepared “to lift relevant sanctions” in exchange for Iran’s compliance.

“Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. We stand ready to work with the U.S., Iran, and the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] to this end,” the nations said.

The E4 nations also called for the return of “unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz.

Shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted by Iran in response to the U.S. and Israeli attacks on its nuclear and military sites.

In announcing the peace deal on June 14, President Donald Trump said the deal included the full reopening of the strait and that he had authorized the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports.

“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”

The terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

Many world leaders welcomed the U.S.-Iran deal to end the war that started late February.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated “President Trump and the mediators from Pakistan, Qatar, and elsewhere who have contributed to this breakthrough.”

“Attention must now turn to fully implementing the memorandum of understanding to ensure the Strait reopens and remains fully and permanently open, and that the detailed elements of the nuclear agreement are finalized,” he said.

French ‌President Emmanuel ⁠Macron said in a post on X that the U.S.-Iran agreement will pave the way for broader negotiations to ensure peace and security across the Middle East.

“I welcome the agreement reached between the United States and Iran, the result of a diplomatic effort to which several partners have contributed. I call for its rapid and complete implementation by all belligerents,” he wrote.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she hopes the agreement will be “steadily implemented” to ensure free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and that “a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear issue and other matters will be realized at the earliest possible date.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he welcomed the peace deal and called on Tehran to “address longstanding concerns about its nuclear program and the threat it poses to international security.”