ASEAN Foreign Ministers Hold Special Meeting Over Rising Middle East Tensions

Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations convened a special virtual meeting on Friday to evaluate the growing tensions in the Middle East and examine their potential consequences for ASEAN member states.

The ministers used the meeting to exchange perspectives on the evolving situation and its wider geopolitical implications.

During the discussion, the ministers urged all parties involved in the conflict to immediately reduce hostilities and exercise restraint. They encouraged countries to refrain from actions that could intensify the crisis and emphasised the importance of resolving disputes through diplomatic engagement and dialogue.

In a statement released after the meeting, the ministers voiced, “The meeting expressed serious concern over the escalation of conflict in the Middle East following the attacks initiated by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic of Iran on 28 February 2026, and Israeli attack on the Lebanese Republic, and the subsequent retaliatory attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against several countries in the region, including the Kingdom of Bahrain, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Iraq, State of Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, and the United Arab Emirates, which continue to heighten tensions in the Middle East, and pose a grave threat to the lives and safety of civilians, as well as to regional and global peace and stability.”

The ministers reviewed how the conflict could affect global economic activity, particularly energy markets and major maritime and air transport corridors. They stressed the importance of maintaining stable energy supplies and ensuring the uninterrupted movement of essential goods such as food.

ASEAN Calls for Stronger Economic Resilience

The leaders highlighted the need to strengthen ASEAN’s economic resilience and energy security through deeper cooperation and policy coordination among member states. They further stressed the importance of improving logistics networks, expanding energy alternatives, and reinforcing supply chains to maintain economic stability.

Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand established the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in August 1967 in Thailand by signing the Bangkok Declaration.

The bloc later expanded to include Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and, most recently, Timor-Leste, bringing the organisation to 11 member states today.

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