US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines during a call with his counterpart in Manila in the face of geopolitical tensions in South China Sea.

U.S. and Philippine fighter aircraft have staged a joint patrol and training over a disputed South China Sea shoal where Chinese fighter jets fired flares last year to drive away a Philippine aircraft

The U.S. and Philippines flew a joint patrol over the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea guarded by Beijing's troops.

The joint patrol on Tuesday over the Scarborough Shoal was the first by the longtime treaty allies since President Donald Trump took office again.

The air forces of the Philippines and the United States held joint patrols over the South China Sea on Tuesday, a move that angered China, which also conducted a "routine patrol" over a disputed shoal.