Prabowo Acknowledges Criticism of Being Stubborn: Iranian Fighters Are Too

President Prabowo Subianto admitted to hearing criticisms that he possesses a stubborn nature. He referenced the Iranian fighters and people who exhibit a similar trait in facing war with the US and Israel.

“The latest one is that Prabowo is stubborn. If I’m called stubborn, I must accept it as, ‘oh, let me hold my head,’” said Prabowo while delivering a briefing at the Government Working Meeting in the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, on Wednesday (8/4/2026).

Prabowo stated that a stubborn nature is actually needed in carrying out his work. He mentioned that the Iranian people are stubborn despite being hit by threats from adversaries.

“Sometimes stubbornness in a job is needed. Now people say the Iranian people are stubborn, the Iranian fighters are stubborn, repeatedly threatened with being wiped out, the latest one, what was it, but they don’t. I don’t interfere in other countries’ domestic politics,” he said.

Prabowo continued that national leaders, in his view, are also stubborn when defending Indonesia’s independence. The founding fathers, he said, were stubborn in refusing to be colonised again.

“But for a nation, sometimes stubbornness is needed. In the past, our founding fathers were stubborn. Better to die than be colonised again. Stubborn. We don’t want to be colonised again,” said Prabowo.

“So, brothers and sisters, we respond with calmness, with wisdom, but we hold firmly to our principles. There is no state without law, without constitution, without the Constitution, what exists is power,” he concluded.