Former Foreign Minister Outlines Conditions Indonesia Must Meet If It Aims to Mediate in the Iran–US–Israel Trilateral Dispute

Indonesia must be accepted by the parties if it wants to become a mediator or intermediary to ease the tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel in the Middle East. Acceptance by those in conflict is a prerequisite before one can become a peacemaker.

‘The main condition is that Indonesia must be accepted by the two sides in conflict,’ said Foreign Minister Noer Hassan Wirajuda, who served from 2001 to 2009, at a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday evening (3 March 2026), after a national discussion at Istana Merdeka. Hassan explained that he was not discussing whether Indonesia is capable of mediating or not, because that is a preliminary consideration. In other words, to become mediator there must also be acceptance from the two warring sides, and there are currently no signs of that.

President Prabowo Subianto convened a number of figures, including former presidents and vice-presidents, former foreign ministers, and leaders of political parties. They discussed strategic issues, particularly the escalation in Gulf states and the Middle East, following the unilateral attacks by Zionist Israel and the United States on Iran over the weekend. The meeting lasted 3.5 hours.

In the meeting, President Prabowo provided a current overview of the situation in the Middle East and its impact on Indonesia. The President also received proposals from various figures regarding steps that should be prepared going forward. ‘The President is very open to considering the ideas proposed by the participants,’ said Hassan.

Following the unilateral attacks by the US and Israel on Iran, which Iran immediately retaliated against bases and US military assets in several Gulf states, President Prabowo, as conveyed by Foreign Minister Sugiono, expressed willingness to act as mediator for the conflicting parties.