After Meeting Prabowo, JK: We Hope for Sympathy for Iran
Former Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, also known as JK, described the outcome of his meeting with President Prabowo Subianto and several prominent figures at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, 3 March.
In a meeting attended by former presidents, vice presidents, and the general chairmen of political parties, JK said he hoped Indonesia’s diplomatic stance regarding the Middle East conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States would be clearer.
JK hoped that Prabowo would show moral alignment and solidarity with Iran, which he described as the party being attacked.
“Of course, we expect him (Prabowo) to show sympathy for Iran,” JK said after delivering a tarawih sermon at the UGM Mosque in Yogyakarta on Thursday, 5 March 2026.
Nevertheless, JK acknowledged that efforts to reconcile the warring parties would not be easy and would require strategic steps targeting the root of the aggression.
He believed that the most crucial party to press to end the conflict is the aggressor, namely the United States under President Donald Trump. He argued that visits and diplomatic pressure should begin by directing at the attacker to achieve an effective ceasefire. “If peace in this war is not easy, the attention should be given to (President) Trump, because he is the one who attacks,” JK said.
He also suggested that the Indonesian government should continue to optimise the use of international instruments such as the Board of Peace to help realise global stability. “How to use the Board of Peace to achieve peace, the Indonesian government should request to use the Board of Peace for peace,” he said.
In the closed meeting with Prabowo and several figures, JK noted that they also discussed the progress of various government policies in addition to the stance on the current international geopolitical situation.
Prabowo, JK said, also explained the state of the nation and the direction of Indonesia’s policies going forward after meetings with other heads of state. “Yes (Prabowo) in the meeting discussed how the state is, and explained the policies,” he said.
During the tarawih sermon at the UGM Campus Mosque, JK said that peace must be based on justice and the mastery of science and technology. He argued that conflicts often arise from injustice, political and social problems, territorial disputes, and competition for natural resources. He also highlighted the irony of conflicts in Muslim-majority countries and the shift in modern warfare, which is now defined not by troop numbers but by technological sophistication such as drones and missile systems. “War now is not about the number of soldiers, but who controls technology,” he said.