New Delhi | India on Wednesday welcomed a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, calling for "de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy" to ensure lasting peace in West Asia.

"We welcome the ceasefire reached and hope that it will lead to 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," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

"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," it said.

Iran and the US have agreed on a conditional ceasefire that includes the opening of the Strait of Hormuz for shipping.