Recent hostilities between the United States and Iran have cast a shadow over the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila.
The Philippines is hosting a gathering of foreign ministers from across Southeast Asia.
They are expected to discuss pressing regional security concerns, such as the ongoing civil war in Myanmar and the territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Ministers have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The conflict has severely impacted Asia, disrupting energy and food supplies, hindering international commerce, and fueling concerns of a global economic slowdown.
Will this also impede ASEAN’s ability to address regional challenges?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Richard Heydarian, a political scientist and author of *Indo‑Pacific: Trump, China and the New Struggle for Global Mastery*
Phar Kim Ben, a professor of ASEAN studies at the International Islamic University of Malaysia and former Director of the Political and Security Community at the ASEAN Secretariat
Don McLain Gill, a lecturer at De La Salle University and Indo‑Pacific Research Fellow with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
Published On 23 Jul 2026
