ASEAN urges US and Iran to exercise 'self-restraint' amid war
10:38, 21/07/2026, TuesdayU: Update: 10:39, 21/07/2026, Tuesday
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Philippines Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro delivers a remark during the opening ceremony for the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on July 21, 2026. The week-long summit, which will last until July 24, gathers foreign ministers and top diplomats from ASEAN member states and major powers, including those from Turkiye, the United States, China, Russia, Japan and several European Union countries to discuss international and regional issues surrounding geopolitical challenges, energy supplies, trade, food, security cooperation as well as Myanmar civil war and the impacts of US-Iran conflict.Southeast Asian foreign ministers on Tuesday urged the United States and Iran to exercise 'utmost self-restraint,' warning that renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran are severely undermining mediation efforts led by Pakistan and Qatar aimed at securing a lasting peace agreement.
Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Tuesday called on Washington and Tehran to exercise "utmost self-restraint" amid escalating exchanges of fire, warning that renewed hostilities threaten to derail fragile peace efforts mediated by Islamabad and Doha.
ASEAN urges 'self-restraint'
The bloc's top diplomats issued the appeal during their 59th annual meeting in Manila, where the Philippines currently holds the rotating chair of the 11-member organization. In a joint communique, the ministers "expressed serious concern over the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East, particularly the renewed hostilities" involving Washington and Tehran, according to Anadolu Agency.
"We are deeply concerned that these developments severely undermine the ongoing efforts of key mediators and diminish the prospects for a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy," the statement said. The ministers "called on all parties concerned to exercise utmost self-restraint and avoid any acts that may further aggravate the situation," while underscoring the importance of maintaining regional peace and upholding international law.
Mediation efforts threatened
The ASEAN statement comes amid a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding signed in June, in which the US and Iran agreed to end their war and pursue a lasting peace settlement. Pakistan and Qatar have served as the principal mediators, urging both sides to halt strikes and return to the pre-July 9 status quo, even as Washington continued its military strikes against Iran for the 10th consecutive day on Tuesday, triggering retaliatory attacks by Tehran against American assets and bases across the Middle East.
A joint proposal by Islamabad and Doha has called for opening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the blockade of Iranian ports, and terminating sanctions on Iranian oil exports. The continued exchanges of fire have persisted despite the mediators' push for a complete and immediate cessation of hostilities across all fronts.