Hajj, Peace, and Plastic

To date, the US-Iran peace agreement has hit a dead end. Neither side is willing to compromise. The US is pressing Iran to halt all nuclear programmes, including surrendering its uranium stockpiles and allowing unrestricted US inspections. For Iran, this amounts to an ultimatum rather than a peace overture. The US demands an end to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran seeks the opposite. Iran’s economic losses are estimated at $270 billion (approximately Rp4.629 trillion, exceeding Indonesia’s 2026 state budget of Rp3.1536 trillion) due to infrastructure damage. US losses are estimated at $40-50 billion (around Rp693-866 trillion), significantly exceeding initial projections though less than Iran’s. This includes the loss of 42 aircraft and damage to military bases, as well as global business losses of Rp441.85 trillion.

The US-Iran conflict, which began on 28 February 2026 and continues to this day, has caught the world by surprise. Most of the world expected the US-Iran conflict to unfold like the US military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and subdue Venezuela in approximately two hours and 20 minutes to 2.5 hours, or at least as swiftly as the US overtook Iraq in its previous war. Yet, the conflict persists to this day.

The US-Iran war has instead revealed Iran’s advanced technological capabilities. Most, if not all, missiles used in the conflict—particularly Iran’s attacks on Israel and US airbases in retaliation—are domestically produced. Reports suggest Iranian missiles can reach 1,760 kilometres with a 750-kilogram payload, though actual effective range may be around 1,000 kilometres or less. The global community now fears Iran could deploy nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, which could devastate the Middle East and beyond, though the existence of such weapons in Iran remains speculative.

Nevertheless, during the Hajj period, both sides should exercise restraint to pursue peace, requiring concessions from both—particularly the US. In any peace deal, neither side can secure all its demands. The insistence that developing nations, especially Islamic states like Iran, must be barred from nuclear development—seen as a threat to the Western world under US leadership—highlights this imbalance.

During former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s (2005-2013) visit to UIN Jakarta, the author discussed Iran’s nuclear programme. He argued that if the West can develop nuclear technology, why should Iran be denied. In Shia Islamic theology, defending and seeking justice is part of the core tenets of faith.