ASEAN foreign ministers call for immediate ceasefire in Middle East

ISTANBUL

The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional bloc, on Friday called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Middle East.

This came in a statement issued following a special meeting hosted by the Philippines and conducted via video link to discuss the evolving situation in the Middle East and its implications for Southeast Asia.

The ministers urged the warring parties to resolve their differences through diplomacy and dialogue in the interest of maintaining peace and stability in the region.

They also called for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in line with international law, including the UN Charter.

ASEAN comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Brunei, while Timor-Leste (East Timor) has been admitted as the bloc’s newest member.

Regional tensions surged after the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb. 28, which Tehran says has killed more than 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of schoolgirls, and injured over 10,000 others.

Iran has since retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

Iran has also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since March 1. The waterway carries about 20 million barrels of oil a day and roughly 20% of the global liquefied natural gas trade.

ISTANBUL

The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional bloc, on Friday called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Middle East.

The ministers urged the warring parties to resolve their differences through diplomacy and dialogue in the interest of maintaining peace and stability in the region.

They also called for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in line with international law, including the UN Charter.

ASEAN comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Brunei, while Timor-Leste (East Timor) has been admitted as the bloc’s newest member.

Iran has since retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

Iran has also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since March 1. The waterway carries about 20 million barrels of oil a day and roughly 20% of the global liquefied natural gas trade.