Top diplomats from Asia, Europe and North America met on Thursday for the security-focused ASEAN Regional Forum, where ministers were expected to call for a peaceful settlement of renewed and intensifying hostilities in the Middle East.The war in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz are set to dominate the Manila meetings attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and top officials from Australia, Britain, China, the European Union, India, Japan and others.
The conflict is a key concern for the 11-nation ASEAN, which has a combined gross domestic product of about US$3.8 trillion heavily reliant on Middle East oil, exposing it to fallout that has stoked global inflation.
"We convene against the backdrop of profound geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainty," Maria Theresa Lazaro, the foreign secretary of the Philippines, which is chairing the grouping, said in opening remarks.
"These issues transcend borders and underscore the reality that no nation can address today's complex security environment alone."
The US military completed a 12th successive night of attacks on Iran on Wednesday, with Iranian-aligned Houthis claiming hits the following day on two Saudi oil tankers, in a blockade that threatens a second chokehold on global oil supplies in the Red Sea, alongside the Strait of Hormuz.
