Renewed fighting between the United States and Iran has cast a shadow over the annual gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Manila, according to a report. The ASEAN summit, which brings together leaders from ten Southeast Asian countries, was intended to focus on regional cooperation and pressing issues such as trade, maritime security, and economic recovery. However, the escalating conflict between Washington and Tehran has diverted attention and dominated discussions among delegates. Diplomats and observers noted that the US-Iran situation now threatens to overshadow the bloc's own agenda. ASEAN, a regional forum known for its consensus-based decision-making, has struggled to maintain a unified stance on the crisis. Some member states have close ties with the United States, while others maintain relations with Iran. This division complicates efforts to address the conflict's potential spillover effects on Southeast Asia, including rising oil prices and security concerns in the Strait of Malacca, a key shipping lane. The summit in Manila, originally scheduled to tackle issues like the South China Sea disputes and the Myanmar crisis, now faces an unexpected diplomatic challenge. As the US-Iran standoff continues, ASEAN leaders are being forced to balance their response to the crisis with their own regional priorities. The meeting, which was already under pressure from geopolitical rivalries, now risks being remembered more for the overshadowing conflict than for any concrete outcomes on regional cooperation.