'Escalation Amidst Diplomatic Efforts Particularly Regrettable': ASEAN Expresses Concern With West Asia War

'We call on all countries to respect international law, including the Charter of the United Nations (UN Charter).'

The Wire Staff

'We call on all countries to respect international law, including the Charter of the United Nations (UN Charter).'

escalation amidst diplomatic efforts particularly regrettable asean expresses concern with west asia war

Representative image. From left, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, Myanmar's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hau Khan Sum, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, East Timor's Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Vietnam's Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan Yusof, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono, Laos' Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane, and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn pose for a group photo during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Cebu, Philippines Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. Photo: AP/PTI.

New Delhi: The ASEAN grouping of countries in Southeast Asia has noted in a statement that it is concerned at the escalation of conflict and decried the fact that it happened when diplomatic talks were on.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

The full statement says:

"We follow closely the situation and express 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 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, 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. We call on all countries to respect international law, including the Charter of the United Nations (UN Charter).

"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."

This article went live on March fourth, two thousand twenty six, at thirty-six minutes past ten in the morning.

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