PH Defense chief not worried Iran war will distract US from supporting Indo-Pacific region

The Philippines is not worried about any reduction in U.S. deterrence capabilities in the Indo-Pacific due to the Middle East war, though China would likely try to seize on any perceived opening, the Defense Secretary said on Tuesday.

China's recent actions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait were "not surprising", Gilberto Teodoro told Reuters in an interview, saying Beijing looked to take advantage when it thought rival powers were preoccupied elsewhere.

"It is not surprising that any opportunity they see, perceived opportunity, or with a perceived weakness or a perceived opening, they will take advantage," Teodoro said.

Teodoro said he had full confidence in the Mutual Defense Treaty, the long‑standing security pact between Manila and Washington, and was not worried by concerns that the Iran war could weaken U.S. strategic bandwidth in Asia.

"I'm not concerned at all about reduced deterrence," he said, pointing to joint military exercises currently underway with the U.S. as a sign of Washington's commitment.

-Reporting by Karen Lema and Nestor Corrales; Editing by John Mair/Reuters