Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos on Thursday acclaimed the deal signed by Iran and the United States to bring a halt to the war which broke out between the two countries in the spring as “an important step towards strengthening regional stability” in a telephone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi.

He wrote in a post on social media that he had “welcomed” the deal, which was signed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump on Thursday, and that, both he and Araghchi had “underlined the importance of continued dialogue and diplomatic engagement”.

After the signing of the deal, Trump pushed back on criticism that he had not been adequately firm with Iran, writing in his own social media that “these fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the stock market just hit a record high and oil prices are ‘tumbling’ down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid”.

Pezeshkian, meanwhile, described the deal as a “historic document” and said that “peace will be achieved through mutual respect”

The text of the deal states that both Iran and the US, “and their allies in the current war”, declare “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”, and foresees that a “final deal” to bring about a “permanent termination” of the war will be reached within 60 days – before August 17.

Crucially, it also states that Iran will “make arrangements using its best efforts for the sage passage of commercial vessels” through the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint through which the majority of the world’s oil passes, during this 60-day period.

However, the deal has already showed signs of strain, with news website Al Jazeera reporting that Israel has continued its strikes on Lebanon in spite of it, with at least three people having been killed.

Meanwhile, Reuters quoted a senior official close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as having said that Israel has “no intention of backing down on its positions” regarding its continued military action in Lebanon, and that the country is “conducting stubborn negotiations” with the US over the matter.

On this front, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei has already warned that “the continuation of the Zionist entity’s attacks on Lebanon will be a violation of the pledges contained” in Thursday’s deal.

“The Zionist entity does not want to provide any opportunity for any diplomatic path to calm the situation in our region,” he told Lebanese news website Al Akhbar.

Earlier in the week, when the announcement of an agreement was first made, Cyprus’ foreign ministry had said that it “represents a critical step for sustained de-escalation across the region, including Lebanon, and for the restoration of freedom of navigation”,

It added that the deal “renewed momentum towards a comprehensive negotiating framework for a lasting settlement of the nuclear issue and all other critical issues”.

As such, it added that it encourages “all parties” to “seize this opportunity and remain committed to dialogue, restraint and diplomatic engagement”.