ASEAN diplomats convene in Manila to address systemic US‑Iran tensions and regional security gaps amid great‑power rivalry
Original framing: “Southeast Asia’s top diplomats hold security talks in Manila as US-Iran fighting rages - AP News” — AP News (via Google News)
The current US‑Iran tension echoes Cold‑War proxy battles that once divided Southeast Asia, where external powers leveraged local conflicts for strategic gain. Colonial legacies left fragmented state structures, making the region susceptible to great‑power competition and undermining indigenous security frameworks.
The Manila summit is less a reaction to a singular US‑Iran clash than a symptom of a fragmented regional security order shaped by historic interventions and contemporary great‑power rivalry.
By foregrounding ASEAN’s collective mechanisms, integrating indigenous and climate knowledge, and engaging all major powers in transparent de‑escalation, the systemic drivers of instability can be addressed. Historical patterns reveal that exclusion of marginalised voices and reliance on binary narratives perpetuate cycles of tension. A multidimensional approach—melding scientific data, cultural wisdom, and trickster insight—offers a pathway toward resilient, inclusive security that transcends the immediacy of the current flashpoint.