Iranian Ambassador's Visits to National Figures Continue: What Does It Mean?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Following visits to Indonesia’s 10th and 12th Vice President Jusuf Kalla, 5th President Megawati Soekarnoputri, and 7th President Joko Widodo, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Indonesia, Mohammad Boroujerdi, has continued his outreach. On Friday (3/4/2026), he met with a figure known to be close to Islamic groups, particularly Muhammadiyah, Din Syamsuddin. However, in that meeting, Boroujerdi did not only meet Din. The 1.5-hour gathering was also attended by figures from Al Washliyah, the Indonesian Preachers Coordination Agency, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), and Muslim Women. During the meeting, Din conveyed condolences and hoped that the war currently occurring in Iran would end soon. This former Chairman of the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership also stated that Iran is a country consistently reviving Islamic civilisation. Therefore, he and the attending figures prayed and called for the current conflict in the Middle East to end soon with victory for Iran. “Thus, after the war that we pray will be won by Iran, it will be won by Iran; we take lessons and wisdom to unite and cooperate in building a new civilisation, an Islamic civilisation for the world,” he said. In the current situation, Din emphasised the importance of Muslim unity above differences in madhabs (Sunni-Shia) or ethnic sentiments (Arab-Persian). Diplomatic Efforts Amid Conflict A lecturer in International Relations at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Mutiara Pertiwi, stated that the political outreach conducted by Boroujerdi can be interpreted as Iran’s active diplomatic efforts amid the ongoing conflict. This outreach also demonstrates that Indonesia is a sufficiently important country for Iran.