Defence Minister: US–Iran Conflict Very High, BoP Tends to Be Left Behind

Defence Minister Sjafrie told a working meeting of Commission I of the DPR at the Parliament Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday, 19 May 2026. He said BoP is an initiative by US President Donald Trump to help Palestinians in Gaza, and that the casualties may have reached almost 80,000 lives. “This is the effort by the US President to undertake humanitarian and political rescue in Gaza,” he added. Sjafrie said Indonesia has received appreciation from Donald Trump for its humanitarian stance towards Gaza. He said, in consultations with a number of Arab countries, Indonesia put forward several prerequisites: “This is what earned Indonesia appreciation from the US President, that a President of Indonesia, whose population is majority Muslim, is very mindful of the humanitarian issues in Gaza, so he was included into BoP,” he said. “And together with several Arab countries, Indonesia consulted with the prerequisite that Hamas should remain in existence, and that no physical‑force activities that could cause casualties in Gaza occur. This was our note, and it was approved by several Arab states, including Saudi Arabia,” he added. He said Donald Trump also formed the International Stabilisation Force (ISF). He said Indonesia is a member of ISF. “However, the dynamics now emerging due to the very high intensity of the conflict between America and Iran mean that BoP tends to be left behind,” he said. Sjafrie said the TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto has prepared a composite brigade for geostrategy and geopolitics. He said ISF remains on standby for now, even as inside the country the Commander has undertaken activities. “Because BoP is left behind, ISF is left behind as well, although we in Indonesia the Commander has prepared a composite brigade for geostrategy and geopolitics and the US President’s initiative has yet to receive implementation guidance, so to date our ISF remains on standby. But domestically the Commander has undertaken activities,” he added.