Jimly: Prabowo and Pakistan's Leaders to Tehran to Stop the War
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is reportedly planning to fly to Tehran, Iran, together with Pakistan’s leaders, to prevent a worsening of the Middle East conflict. The information was disclosed by Jimly Asshidiqie after he attended a meeting between Prabowo and Islamic clerics at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday night, 5 March.
According to Jimly, Prabowo said he had been telephoned by Pakistan’s leadership inviting him to Tehran to jointly prevent a larger escalation of the conflict. Jimly said he was not sure whether Prabowo was contacted by the President or the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
‘The President of Pakistan. Well, they will go together to Tehran,’ Jimly said.
Jimly explained that the plan is not intended to be a mediator between Israel and Iran. He described the role as Indonesia taking a larger place in world geopolitics.
‘Don’t view it negatively yet; it’s not about reconciling people who have just been killed, it’s about reducing the escalation and preventing further attacks from Israel,’ he said.
‘This is about the President having already been killed, the Ayatollah has been killed too? Not in that sense, but it’s to prevent escalation,’ he added.
Prabowo urged to be open
Prabowo was urged to openly express condolences for the death of Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Muhammad Hanif Alatas, Secretary of the Shura Council of the Front Persaudaraan Islam (FPI), said condolences in a letter were not enough and that only Foreign Minister Sugiono had been sent to convey it.
‘Habib Rizieq’s mandate, since Iran is a friendly country as well. We ask that the President not merely dispatch the Foreign Minister to convey condolences, but that the President express condolences openly,’ Alatas told reporters at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday night.
He said Iran is a friendly country to RI, and today Iran needs support in defending its sovereignty because it is being attacked by the US-Israel. ‘Iran needs support in defending its sovereignty; it is being attacked, it defends its sovereignty, just as we do, and we believe Iran’s stance to defend its sovereignty should be supported,’ he added.