Iran–US Conflict Escalates as Indonesia Halts BoP Deliberations

Indonesia’s government has suspended all discussions relating to the Board of Peace (BoP). The decision comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East between Iran, the United States and Israel over the past month. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said the government’s primary priority is to monitor Middle East dynamics and protect Indonesian citizens in affected areas. “As the Foreign Minister noted a few days ago, all discussions with BoP are now suspended or, in other words, on hold,” she told Antara on Friday (6 March). She explained that the government is focusing on preparing emergency steps to faced the possibility of further escalation. Regarding Indonesia’s position in the BoP going forward, she stressed that policy would be taken with careful consideration. “Any decision on participation in various international mechanisms will be based on national interests, an active and independent foreign policy, and developments on the ground,” she added.

Earlier, criticism emerged calling for Indonesia to review or end its membership in BoP. President Prabowo Subianto was reported to be receptive to such proposals. Nusron Wahid, Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning and Head of the National Land Agency (BPN), while accompanying the President at a meeting with ulema at the Presidential Palace on Thursday night (5 March), said the government continues to monitor the situation. “The government is not anti-criticism. We listen while observing the situation,” Nusron said. Nevertheless, the government sees BoP as an important forum for pursuing peace. The current stance is to position BoP as part of Indonesia’s diplomatic effort to promote peace in Palestine. He pointed to several fundamental questions that remain unanswered, such as the disarmament mechanism and who would carry out operations on the ground.