ASEAN Urges US-Iran Talks, Hormuz Passage

ASEAN has called on the United States and Iran to continue diplomatic talks, while simultaneously urging the safe and unimpeded passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The bloc's position signals collective concern among Southeast Asian economies about potential disruption to one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, through which a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments transit. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and serves as the primary export route for Gulf producers including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, and Kuwait. Any sustained closure or harassment of shipping in the strait would ripple directly into energy prices and freight costs, with outsized exposure for Asian import-dependent economies. ASEAN's dual call, for talks and for open sea lanes, reflects the bloc's economic vulnerability to energy supply disruption and its traditional preference for de-escalation over alignment. How Washington and Tehran respond to the diplomatic pressure, and whether shipping activity through the strait remains stable, are the immediate indicators to track.