The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) believes the conflict in the Middle East does not affect the United States-Philippine alliance, despite U.S. involvement in attacks against Iran.

In a Tuesday report by RH 52 Edniel Parrosa, AFP Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said that the U.S.’ commitment as a treaty ally has not diminished, as proven by the continued cooperative activities within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The U.S.’ role in the heightened Israel-Iran hostilities will not affect the upcoming Balikatan Exercises to begin in the following months, Trinidad assured during a press conference at Camp Aguinaldo.

“The MMCA (Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity) recently conducted is a classic example of that. So there’s been no marked dip in the support of our treaty ally,” he said.

He also underscored the crucial role of Philippine allies and other like-minded nations in maintaining order in the Indo-Pacific region.

The official added that Filipinos can rest easy in spite of the country’s ties to the US. He stressed that the conflicts are happening outside the country and Filipinos must shift their attention to actors engaging in disputes concerning the WPS.

“You can sleep soundly at night while the members of the AFP burn the midnight candle going over our contingency plans,” Trinidad said.

Israel has once again launched strikes on Tehran, Iran’s capital city, while the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been hit by two drones, reportedly causing “limited” fire and “minor” damage, according to U.S. media.