Jakarta, March 4 (AseanAll) — The Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on March 4, 2026 called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Middle East following the attacks by Israel and the United States against Iran on February 28, 2026, and urged the use of diplomacy to solve the conflict.
Expressing serious concern about the escalation of the latest Middle East conflict, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers called on fellow ASEAN Member States to provide emergency assistance to ASEAN nationals caught in the crisis.
In a March 4 statement, the ASEAN Foreign Minister said they “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.”
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ statement on the situation in the Middle East said the conflict “continues to heighten tensions in the Middle East, and poses 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,” the ASEAN Foreign Ministers said.
“We also re-emphasize the shared commitment to provide emergency assistance to ASEAN nationals, especially during this time, in accordance with the ASEAN Declaration on the Guidelines on Consular Assistance by ASEAN Member States’ Missions in Third Countries to Nationals of Other ASEAN Member States and the Guidelines for the Provision of Emergency Assistance by ASEAN Missions in Third Countries to Nationals of ASEAN Member Countries in Crisis Situations,” they said in the statement.
The ASEAN Foreign Ministers said, “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.”
“We emphasize the importance of an immediate cessation of hostilities and call on all parties concerned to exercise utmost self-restraint, avoid any acts that may further aggravate the situation, and resolve differences through diplomacy and dialogue in the interest of maintaining peace and stability in the region,” the statement said.
“We reaffirm the obligation of all States to resolve their differences through peaceful means and to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, in line with international law, including the UN Charter. We further reiterate the obligations to protect civilians and civilian infrastructures in armed conflicts consistent with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” they said.
