Riyaz ul Khaliq
28 April 2026•Update: 28 April 2026
The EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) urged the US and Iran on Tuesday to end the war through peaceful means, stressing maritime safety and security via the Strait of Hormuz.
Welcoming the US-Iran ceasefire mediated by Pakistan, the two blocs in a joint statement reaffirmed the “importance of upholding freedom of navigation in and overflight above straits used for international navigation, in accordance with international law, as reflected in the 1982 UNCLOS.”
The statement was released after the EU-ASEAN 25th Ministerial Meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei.
The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas represented the bloc, while Brunei Foreign Minister Prince Mohamed Bolkiah hosted the joint meeting on behalf of ASEAN.
They expressed “deep concern over any discriminatory or unilateral measures that may impede or obstruct vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, or any straits used for international navigation,” the statement said.
The strait remains blocked as the US-Israeli war with Iran completes two months, hitting global energy supplies, which have mostly affected Asian nations.
Calling for the restoration of the safe, unimpeded, and continuous transit passage of vessels and aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz, the EU and ASEAN “urged all parties involved to maintain conducive conditions for the full and effective implementation of the ceasefire, by exercising utmost restraint, ceasing all hostilities, and avoiding any acts that may aggravate the situation.”
On April 8, Pakistan secured a ceasefire between the US and Iran, which remains in place after US President Donald Trump unilaterally extended it on April 21.
Underscoring the importance of maintaining regional peace, stability, and prosperity, the EU and ASEAN called for a “complete and immediate cessation of hostilities across all fronts in the Middle East.”
“We further reaffirmed the obligations of all States to resolve their differences through peaceful means, and to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in armed conflicts, and to ensure the safety and security of UN peacekeepers and humanitarian personnel, in accordance with international law, the UN Charter, and relevant UNSC resolutions,” read the joint statement.
Over 3,300 people have been killed in Iran, while thousands have been internally displaced due to the US-Israeli war with Iran, which started on Feb. 28.
Amid Israeli attacks on Lebanon, at least four Indonesian UN peacekeepers have been killed and many others injured.
Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2 have killed at least 2,509 people and wounded 7,755 others, while displacing more than 1.6 million, according to official figures.
EU, ASEAN deplore catastrophic situation in Gaza
The EU and 11-member ASEAN also expressed “grave concern” over the deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, and deplored the continuing catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza despite the ceasefire.
Since October 2023, Gaza has been under Israeli assault, which has killed more than 72,000 people, mostly women and children.
The two blocs “condemned all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and called for rapid, safe, sustained, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need, including through increased capacity at border crossings, including by sea.”
The EU and ASEAN also reiterated their support for a comprehensive and durable solution to achieve just and long-lasting peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution in accordance with international law and the relevant UN resolutions.
