Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez on Monday called for peaceful solutions amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, while emphasizing the Philippines’ neutrality on ongoing conflicts in the region.
“We will not interfere in that kind of situation. We condemn what happened on October 7, and we are very concerned about what is happening in the Gaza Strip and the potential nuclear development in Iran,” Romualdez said in a radio interview.
"Other than that, we are always on the right side [by] looking for a peaceful solution,” he added, underscoring the need to pursue “diplomatic peaceful solutions,” similar to the Philippines’ approach in the Indo-Pacific region regarding disputes in the South China Sea.
“We are not looking for a fight,” he said.
Romualdez said the United States’ main objective is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
“‘That's what they’re saying in their pronouncements—they have no other purpose but to stop the development of nuclear weapons,’” he said, referring to Washington’s official stance on Iran’s nuclear program.
He also said the Philippine Embassy has alerted the Filipino community in the US to stay vigilant amid escalating geopolitical tensions.
This comes after the US government issued warnings of a "heightened threat environment" due to the following Washington’s strikes in Iran.
“The US action against Iran is very serious, which is why they have to be on alert for any eventuality,” Romualdez said.
Other players
The roles of China and Russia in the escalating tensions in the Middle East remain uncertain, as they respond cautiously to developments involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
Political analyst Dr. Renato de Castro said China is treading carefully when it comes to supporting Iran.
“China is cautious in providing assistance to Iran,” he said, adding that “the most that China can bring is missiles.”
De Castro also commented on the recent military operations launched by the United States, which targeted Iran’s enriched uranium facilities.
“What we need to look at now is what kind of assistance China and Russia might provide to Iran,” he added.
De Castro likewise emphasized that US involvement in the conflict is primarily aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which are potentially targeting two areas: Israel and the US.
"[This] is in the interest of America and the interest of Israel, and interestingly, also of some Arab states. We notice that no Arab states are condemning Israel over Iran, because Iran is also a problem for them,” he said, citing the historical divide between Sunni-led Arab nations and Shiite-majority Iran.