Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have expressed “serious concern” over the renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran and called for the resumption of free movement through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a joint statement released after the close of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on Tuesday, ministers from the 11-nation bloc said that they were “deeply concerned that these developments severely undermine the ongoing efforts of key mediators and diminish the prospects for a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.”
“We called on all parties concerned to exercise utmost self-restraint and avoid any acts that may further aggravate the situation,” the statement said, while calling for “a complete and immediate cessation of hostilities across all fronts in the Middle East.”
The ceasefire between Iran and the U.S., which was initially agreed in April and then formalized in June, collapsed earlier this month after both sides accused the other of reneging on their agreements.
The U.S. has since resumed its air attacks on Iran, which have been met by increased Iranian attacks on shipping and targets across the region, one of which killed three U.S. military personnel in Jordan. As Al Jazeera reported, the conflict has in recent days “expanded beyond military targets, with strikes increasingly hitting civilian infrastructure while both sides continue to harden their public positions.”
