Middle East crisis, South China Sea tensions dominate Asean top diplomats meetings

ASEAN top diplomats highlight their concerns during closed-door meetingSoutheast Asian foreign ministers have expressed "serious concern" over renewed US-Iran hostilities, calling for an immediate cessation of attacks across all fronts in the Middle East and warning that the escalating conflict threatens global energy supplies, trade, and food security."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 ministers said in a joint statement.The 11-member bloc called on all parties to exercise "utmost self-restraint" and avoid any acts that could further aggravate the situation. It underscored the importance of maintaining regional peace, stability and