ASEAN Urges US-Iran to Swiftly End War and Reopen Strait of Hormuz

ASEAN countries are urging the United States (US) and Iran to continue negotiations to end the war in the Middle East. ASEAN is also pressing the US and Iran to promptly ensure safe shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to AFP, on Monday (13/4/2026), Southeast Asian nations such as the Philippines and Malaysia are highly dependent on oil from the Middle East, much of which is exported via the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed during the US-Israel conflict with Iran.

Foreign ministers from the 11 ASEAN member countries met online to discuss the US-Israel war against Iran, hours before the US Navy was set to begin a blockade of Iranian ports.

US President Donald Trump ordered the blockade of the main sea trade route for oil after negotiations between the US and Iran in Pakistan failed, due to what Trump described as Iran’s refusal to abandon its ambitions to develop nuclear weapons.

The ASEAN foreign ministers agreed to urge the US and Iran to “continue negotiations that will lead to a permanent end to the conflict and lasting peace and stability in the region.”

They also called for the “full and effective implementation” of the ongoing two-week ceasefire and the “restoration of safe, unobstructed, and sustainable ship and aircraft transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz.”

According to the International Energy Agency, around 20 percent of global seaborne oil trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, with 80 percent of that heading to Asian markets.

The Philippines, which holds the rotating ASEAN chairmanship, implemented a four-day workweek system for civil servants last month in an effort to save fuel. Meanwhile, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam are encouraging civil servants to work from home.