Asia

ASEAN Forum Tackles Iran War, Hormuz Crisis

Is the U.S. defending ASEAN's vital interests in the Strait of Hormuz or forcing allies to bear the burden of its conflict?

Published 1 day ago

ASEAN Forum Tackles Iran War, Hormuz Crisis

Story

Above: (L-R) East Timor's Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Vietnam Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn in Pasay, Philippines, on July 22, 2026 Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

ASEAN nations are growing deeply skeptical of U.S. leadership, with polling showing that many in the region prefer China over the U.S. The Strait of Hormuz closure has already triggered energy shortages and price hikes across Malaysia and Thailand, making the human cost the Iran conflict impossible to ignore. The U.S. cannot expect allies to bear the burden of its actions.

Al-Monitor Malay Mail

Pro-establishment narrative

Freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a Southeast Asian concern too. The US isn't imposing conflict on ASEAN; it's defending the same waterways ASEAN's economies depend on and standing up for their sovereignty against reckless and aggressive Chinese expansion in the region. Rubio is in Manila precisely because this administration treats those shared interests as real commitments.

Donald Trump on US State Department