Luhut Warns Indonesia Not to Join in Antagonising Iran

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Chairman of the National Economic Council (DEN), Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, has warned Indonesia not to join in antagonising Iran. He made the remarks while presenting his views on the Iran–Israel conflict and the United States’ war against Iran that has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. ‘We must not become enemies with him; there is no use in that,’ Luhut said in a personal Instagram post on Thursday, 5 May 2026. Luhut said that Indonesia is a non-aligned country and must therefore be careful in formulating foreign policy. This is because national energy needs cannot yet be met domestically and still require imports. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the main waterways for oil trade from Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and even Iran itself. ‘Because this affects the economy. How much energy reserves do we have now? Gas and oil — the Strait of Hormuz will have a big impact,’ Luhut said. Iran, according to Luhut, is a nation that for thousands of years has not been colonised. The deaths of several of its leaders and the waning of its weapons capability have not softened Iran. This has led Luhut to predict that the war in the Middle East will not be resolved in the near future. ‘I see this war will not end in four weeks or within the next month because several of their leaders have been killed, there are no signs of weakening,’ he said.