ASEAN calls Middle East escalation ‘regrettable’, urges ceasefire after US-Israel strike on Iran
The Straits Times
Asean urges ceasefire after US-Israel strikes on Iran trigger Middle East escalation, as Southeast Asian governments warn of risks to regional stability and citizens abroad. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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MANILA – ASEAN foreign ministers have described the escalation of conflict in the Middle East as “regrettable”, urging an immediate ceasefire after a US and Israeli strike on Iran triggered retaliatory attacks across that region, raising concerns over civilian safety and global stability.
The joint statement on March 4 came four days after the Feb 28 strikes that triggered the latest escalation, after most South-east Asian governments issued calls for restraint and diplomacy.
“This escalation is particularly regrettable as it occurred amid ongoing diplomatic efforts, including mediation initiatives led by the Sultanate of Oman aimed at advancing a negotiated solution,” the regional grouping said in the statement.
The escalation follows attacks initiated by the US and Israel against Iran on Feb 28, prompting retaliatory strikes by Tehran against several countries in the region, including Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.
Oman had been mediating talks between Washington and Tehran for weeks before the strike on Iran in an effort to revive negotiations and prevent further escalation in the Middle East, according to local media reports in the region. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on March 3 that diplomatic options to de-escalate the crisis were still “available”, urging an immediate ceasefire and a return to regional diplomacy.
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