ASEAN's top diplomats meet in shadow of US-Iran conflict

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are likely to cast a shadow over a diplomatic gathering in Southeast Asia this week, injecting additional uncertainty into a region grappling with maritime tensions with China and a faltering regional effort to end Myanmar's civil war.



Foreign ministers from the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and major partners will gather in Manila against a backdrop of instability beyond the region since the U.S. and Iran resumed open conflict, raising concerns about energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as inflation and global growth.



"We're looking at several occasions where they can raise this very, very critical topic," said Dominic Xavier Imperial, a spokesperson for the Philippines, the meeting host.



But Southeast Asia's top diplomats meeting on Tuesday face no shortage of challenges closer to home.



They will have an informal consultation on Myanmar's conflict, as ASEAN's peace initiative struggles to gain traction, five years after it was launched following a military coup that plunged the country into a civil war that has killed an estimated 100,000 people.