Thailand to seek new Asean meeting on Iran war fallout

Thailand to propose new Asean meeting on Middle East crisis

Thailand will propose a new special Asean foreign ministers’ meeting to discuss the worsening fallout from the Iran war, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said on Saturday, signalling Bangkok’s push for a stronger regional response to mounting risks over energy, shipping and food security.

Speaking at the Meet the Press event titled “One month of global crisis: Thailand’s response in a changed world”, Sihasak said Thailand wanted Asean to play a more active role in easing tensions and preparing for longer-term shocks from the conflict. He said the crisis had underlined the importance of international law, especially freedom of navigation, while the safety of Thai nationals in risk areas remained the government’s top concern.

New proposal comes as Thailand seeks stronger regional coordination

Sihasak said Thailand would push for another special meeting of Asean foreign ministers as the conflict continued to affect the region beyond the immediate security dimension.

He said Asean cooperation was now increasingly important not only for diplomatic de-escalation, but also for strengthening regional preparedness on energy security and food security in the face of prolonged global instability.

Thailand has also continued to coordinate closely with countries in the Middle East to protect Thai citizens and assist affected Thai crew members, while pursuing diplomatic channels to reduce risks to commercial shipping and energy supply routes.

Thailand’s fresh proposal builds on the Special Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the Situation in the Middle East held on March 13, 2026, which was convened at Thailand’s proposal. At that meeting, Asean foreign ministers discussed the impact of the conflict on supply chains, commodity prices and energy prices, and stressed the need to use diplomacy and dialogue to reduce tensions.

That earlier meeting also highlighted the regional implications of disruptions linked to the Middle East crisis, especially the effects on maritime trade and energy security. Thailand is now seeking to build on that process with a new round of ministerial discussions as the conflict drags on.

Thailand links diplomacy to citizen safety and shipping security

Sihasak said the Foreign Ministry had been coordinating closely with Thai embassies in all relevant countries to protect Thai nationals and facilitate evacuations from high-risk areas, especially in Iran, where around 300 Thais have been living.

He said most Thai nationals had already returned, while some had chosen to remain. Thailand has also continued working with Iranian authorities to seek information on three Thai crew members still being tracked following attacks affecting commercial vessels.

Thailand, he said, had reaffirmed that it was not a party to the conflict and had called on all sides to respect international law, particularly freedom of navigation. Bangkok has also asked for advance notification for vessels travelling through high-risk areas to improve safety coordination.

Energy disruption adds urgency to Asean response

The case for stronger Asean coordination has grown more urgent as the Iran war continues to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil and gas shipping chokepoints. Reuters reported that the waterway normally handles about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, making any prolonged disruption a major threat to energy-importing economies in Asia.

Sihasak said Thailand still had stable oil reserves, but the government was also using diplomatic channels to seek additional energy sources from producer countries including Brazil, Azerbaijan and Nigeria.

Background: why the Iran war matters to Asean

The Iran war has become a major concern for Asean because the conflict is affecting far more than the Middle East. Disruption around the Strait of Hormuz is threatening oil and gas shipments, while also affecting wider trade flows, including fertiliser and other essential goods.

For Southeast Asia, that raises the risk of higher energy prices, supply-chain disruption and rising pressure on living costs. Thailand’s call for another special Asean foreign ministers’ meeting therefore reflects a broader attempt to turn the bloc into a platform for crisis coordination, not just political discussion.