DPR Commission I Notes on Indonesia's Position Between Iran and Board of Peace
DPR Commission I Member’s Concerns on Indonesia’s Diplomatic Positioning
A member of DPR Commission I, TB Hasanuddin, has assessed President Prabowo Subianto’s intention to serve as a facilitator in the Iran conflict as a step consistent with Indonesia’s free and active foreign policy principles and constitutional mandate to maintain world peace. However, Hasanuddin believes this step requires careful consideration, particularly following Prabowo’s decision to bring Indonesia into the Board of Peace (BoP), an initiative created and established by US President Donald Trump.
According to Hasanuddin, the BoP’s position leans more towards the US and Israel axis—two nations that launched military strikes against Iran last week. “Given Indonesia’s diplomatic movement, which is currently perceived as leaning more towards the American and Israeli axis through involvement in the BoP, it is difficult to imagine Iran would easily accept this,” Hasanuddin stated in his remarks on Sunday (1 March).
According to the PDIP politician, serving as a conflict facilitator requires serious commitment. Those involved must allocate time and even budget to facilitate dialogue between conflicting parties. Furthermore, such dialogues must occur repeatedly. For this reason, Hasanuddin questioned whether the Indonesian government under Prabowo’s presidency is prepared to undertake such efforts.
Additionally, Hasanuddin questioned Indonesia’s national interests in becoming a conflict facilitator. According to him, every major diplomatic initiative must have clear benefits for national interests. “What are Indonesia’s national interests or strategic calculations at stake that we must step forward as a facilitator? Every major diplomatic step must have clear benefits for national interests,” said the former presidential military secretary.
Regional Focus: ASEAN
According to Hasanuddin, rather than facilitating Iran-related conflicts, Indonesia would be better positioned to facilitate conflicts between Cambodia and Thailand. “ASEAN is our backyard. This region must be peaceful and stable. That is more directly related to Indonesia’s national interests,” he remarked.
Previously, Prabowo expressed his readiness to facilitate dialogue amid the tense and escalating situation in the Middle East following confirmed attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran. Prabowo even indicated his willingness to travel to Tehran, Iran for mediation efforts.
The Indonesian government has expressed regret over failed negotiations between the US and Iran, which have resulted in military escalation in the Middle East and threatened global peace. “The Indonesian government, represented by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, has expressed its readiness to facilitate dialogue to restore conducive security conditions and, if approved by both parties, the Indonesian President is prepared to travel to Tehran to conduct mediation,” according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry’s X account on Saturday (28 February).
In a parallel development, the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) has issued an official statement condemning the combined US-Israeli attack on Iran last weekend. According to the MUI, the US and Israeli strikes on Iran constitute a violation of a nation’s sovereignty boundaries.
The MUI views the attack as a systematic effort to weaken Iran’s position in the Middle East whilst limiting the Islamic nation’s support for the Palestinian independence struggle. To date, the Hamas faction in Gaza has been known to have close ties with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Additionally, according to the MUI, the US is playing a role in this conflict through the Board of Peace, an initiative created by Trump. The MUI has questioned whether the BoP is directed towards just and equitable peace, or whether it instead strengthens an asymmetrical security architecture and buries Palestinian independence. “For this reason, the MUI urges the Indonesian government to withdraw its membership from the BoP, as it is viewed as ineffective in achieving genuine peace in Palestine,” the MUI stated in its Sunday remarks.
Some time ago, after deciding to join the BoP initiated by Trump, the Prabowo administration stated that Indonesia retains the option to withdraw should the multilateral cooperation no longer align with its interests.