Why renewables alone cannot deliver energy security for S-E Asia Asean countries should go beyond diversification of oil import sources - Energy security requires diversification across fuels, technologies and equipment, backed by stronger regional institutions and coordination. PHOTO: PEXELS DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts. THE effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Feb 28, 2026, disrupted the world’s access to roughly 25 per cent of its daily seaborne oil supply overnight. After US-Iran peace talks failed to reach a deal on Sunday (Apr 12), US President Donald Trump announced a blockade of Hormuz and threatened to interdict any vessel that had paid Iran’s toll. For Asean, a region built on open shipping lanes and imported fuel, the shock is rippling from Manila to Bangkok. Recent developments only heighten the urgency of energy security. Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free. Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services TRENDING NOW Aiming at China, Malaysia puts new restrictions on electric cars ‘Boring’ is the new black: The stars are aligning for a Singapore stock market revival Beijing’s calculated silence on the Iran war China pips the US if Asean is forced to choose, but analysts warn against reading it like a sports result
Why renewables alone cannot deliver energy security for S-E Asia Asean countries should go beyond diversification of oil import sources - Energy security requires diversification across fuels, technologies and equipment, backed by stronger regional institutions and coordination. …
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International mediators have proposed a 10-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, according to a senior Iranian official cited in reports. The measure is described as intended to reduce hostilities and allow renewed talks on a prior interim agreement.
Both sides are assessing next steps in the current regional security situation.
Reports indicate that a US-Iran ceasefire has broken down amid renewed fighting, with the potential impact of mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman remaining unclear. Earlier diplomatic steps included a June memorandum of understanding between the parties for further negotiations and talks hosted in Geneva in February.
The summary also references Europe’s historical role in diplomacy, including the 1814-15 Congress of Vienna.
Donald Trump stated in a Fox News interview that his representatives had spoken with Iranian officials an hour earlier and that those officials wanted to make a deal to end the conflict, though he noted they had broken prior agreements and expressed uncertainty about whether one would be reached.
He added that people do not want to die and that Iran would need to proceed carefully to avoid further losses. The remarks come amid an ongoing US-Iran conflict that has involved casualties and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, with some social media users criticizing the repetition of similar statements.
Why the Iran-US ceasefire is falling apart Iran and the US have resumed fighting because they don’t see each other as ‘reliable negotiating partners’, says analyst Ali Vaez. Neither Iran nor the United States seems able to deliver a “knockout blow at an acceptable price” to the other side, and both know “they have no choice other than engaging in diplomacy”, but they’re not ready to make uncomfortable concessions, argues Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at International Crisis Group.
Vaez tells host Steve Clemons that Tehran and Washington are trying to “enforce their own interpretation” of the ceasefire agreement they signed last month. President Trump has become “frustrated” with diplomacy because he’s not seeing “the kind of quick results that he likes to see”, Vaez says.