Trump's Attack on Iran Triggers Global Uncertainty, Economic Risks Intensify

JAKARTA — US President Donald Trump’s decision to launch military strikes against Iran has again triggered global uncertainty. Amid the escalation, energy markets and international business actors are preparing for potential further turbulence.

The military action is considered contradictory to Trump’s earlier statements criticising foreign intervention policies of his predecessors. During a visit to the Middle East in May, Trump stated that the US would no longer attempt to reshape other nations. However, less than a year later, he ordered major strikes against Iran, citing the need to protect national security interests.

Several analysts have questioned the direction of this policy. Negar Mortazavi, senior researcher at the Center for International Policy, described the conflict as a “war of choice”.

“This is once again a war launched by the US with pressure from Israel,” she said, as quoted by Aljazeera on Sunday (1 March 2026).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of Iran’s nuclear threat over the past two decades. However, Iran denies developing nuclear weapons, and several former US officials have also acknowledged the absence of public evidence that Tehran is weaponising its uranium enrichment programme.

Trump has now raised the issue of Iranian ballistic missile development as a new threat. In this week’s state of the union address, he stated that Iran is building missile capabilities that could reach the United States, although this claim has not been accompanied by public evidence.