British and US insistence that Iraq's 11th-hour climbdown over UN weapons inspections does not go far enough has divided world opinion, with Israel and many European states voicing scepticism but the rest of the world hailing the end of the crisis.
Within the Middle East, Washington's key Gulf and Egyptian allies, which had notably failed to oppose US-led threats of military action before Iraq's announcement on Saturday, said there was no longer any need for air strikes.
"We think that the letter addressed by Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan defuses the crisis," the UAE Foreign Minister, Mr Rashid Abdallah, told reporters in Abu Dhabi in the name of Washington's six key Gulf allies.
"The Iraqi decision is good news for the Arab nation and all the Gulf states," he said.
Dubai and Saudi Arabia made it known that in the aftermath of concessions made by Baghdad they were no longer willing to allow their territory or military bases be used to mount air strikes on Iraq.
However, the European Union has "reservations" about Iraq's claim to be ready to resume co-operation with weapons inspectors, the chairman of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers, Mr Wolfgang Schussel of Austria, said in Cairo.
"We welcome Iraq's readiness to resume co-operation with disarmament inspectors . . . but it must co-operate fully and unconditionally with the United Nations," Mr Schussel said after a meeting at the headquarters of the Arab League.
EU governments shared London and Washington's "reservations about the nine points" Iraq appended as an annex to its agreement, he said.
The new German Foreign Minister, Mr Joschka Fischer, warned "the past has taught us that Iraqi proposals must always be verified". Israel reacted warily, saying gas mask distribution centres would remain open to protect Israelis in the event of Iraqi reprisals to any US-led military strikes until Washington had obtained the clarifications it wanted from Baghdad.
However, France, long the supporter of a moderate line towards Baghdad, distanced itself from Britain and the US and hailed Iraq's announcement of a resumption of co-operation.
"It's a victory of diplomacy," the head of the French interests section in Baghdad, Mr Yves Aubin de la Messuziere, said.
With the ambassadors of China and Russia, Mr Aubin de la Messuziere was one of three diplomats to receive the original Iraqi letter making concessions.
China hailed the announcement as "a change in the Iraqi attitude". "We believe there is a ray of hope for a peaceful settlement. Diplomatic efforts should not be given up," the Chinese Foreign Minister, Mr Tang Jiaxuan, said at an Asian summit in Kuala Lumpur. The Russian Foreign Minister, Mr Igor Ivanov, also at the Kuala Lumpur summit, hailed the "good prospect for a political way" while the summit host, the Malaysian Prime Minister, Mr Mahathir Mohammad, added his support to Iraqi complaints.
"Even the Americans agree that those people sent to inspect the installations in Iraq could also be informing the United States . . . So naturally they are not very happy," he said. Pope John Paul II, told world leaders they should "continue to use diplomatic means to resolve the grave crisis" with Iraq.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Mr Amr Musa, said he hoped Iraq's decision would "lead to an acceptable solution for all the concerned parties which would spare the region the consequences" of a military strike.