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European Commission Chief Welcomes US-Iran Deal but EU Needs to Diversify Away From Hormuz Energy

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President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has welcomed the preliminary agreement reached between Iran and the US and called for the restoration of toll-free traffic through the Strait of Hormuz waterway, according to a statement issued on Monday.

The sides intend to sign the preliminary deal in Switzerland on Friday and then proceed to a 60-day negotiation period to hammer out details, most of which relate to Iran's nuclear programme, according to media coverage of the peace breakthrough.

Calling for Lebanon's territorial sovereignty to be respected, von der Leyen said the agreement "opens the door to broader negotiations on peace and security in the Middle East," she said.

The deal "should end" Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and "destabilizing activities" in the region, she said, noting that "energy dependencies have been weaponised".

She reiterated the EU's determine to diversify its energy supply to diversify away from "the bottleneck of Hormuz".

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