Prabowo Seeks to Mediate Israel-US-Iran Conflict; Jusuf Kalla Expresses Concern
Jakarta—Former Vice Presidents Jusuf Kalla, who served as Indonesia’s tenth and twelfth vice president, has responded to President Prabowo Subianto’s announced readiness to mediate between Israel, the United States, and Iran.
Whilst acknowledging the good intentions behind Prabowo’s plan, Kalla expressed concern that an agreement may be difficult to achieve given that the Israel-Palestine conflict remains ongoing.
“The intention and plan are well-meaning. However, this is a situation with far larger underlying problems. Even Palestine and Israel alone cannot be reconciled; it is difficult to bring them to peace,” Kalla told reporters at his residence in Jakarta on Sunday, 1 March 2026.
He explained that the current world order is dominated by the United States, and Indonesia has already entered into agreements with America on various matters, including a reciprocal tariff agreement that Kalla described as disadvantageous to Indonesia’s position.
“The world is largely determined by America’s nature and, regrettably, Indonesia has entered into unbalanced agreements that are extremely detrimental to Indonesia. We are not even equal to America in such negotiations,” Kalla said.
“How can we bring peace between parties that are not equal? In these circumstances, in negotiations like this?” he added.
Previously, President Prabowo Subianto announced his readiness to travel to Iran to facilitate dialogue aimed at restoring conducive security conditions in the region.
In an official statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu), the Indonesian Government expressed regret over the failure of negotiations between the United States and Iran, which has resulted in military escalation in the Middle East region.
Indonesia called upon all parties to exercise restraint and prioritise dialogue and diplomacy. The Government also emphasised the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each nation and resolving differences through peaceful means.
“The Indonesian Government, through the President of the Republic of Indonesia, has conveyed its readiness to facilitate dialogue to restore conducive security conditions, and should both parties agree, the Indonesian President is prepared to travel to Tehran to conduct mediation,” the Foreign Ministry stated.
This step reflects Indonesia’s commitment to continuing to play an active role in maintaining global stability, in line with the active free foreign policy that has been upheld throughout.