Agencies, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto is prepared to mediate between Washington and Tehran, the foreign ministry said on Saturday following US strikes against Iran.

"Indonesia calls on all parties to exercise restraint and to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy," it said in a statement on X.

M. Syaifullah, Jakarta – The joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on Saturday prompted Nur Rachmat Yuliantoro, Professor of the Department of International Relations at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), to urge Indonesia to immediately withdraw from the Board of Peace (BoP) established by US President Donald Trump.

Harumbi Prastya Hidayahningrum, Jakarta – A former senior Indonesian diplomat has described President Prabowo Subianto's reported plan to travel to Tehran to mediate between Iran and the United States as highly unrealistic.

On February 28 at approximately 5 am Eastern Time (ET), the United States and Israel launched a coordinated attack on Iran. The operation reportedly targeted dozens of military facilities and strategic installations across the country.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) condemned the attack launched by the United States (US) and Israel on Iran on Saturday, February 28, 2026, local time. Reflecting on the attack on Iran, the Council considered the existence of the Board of Peace (BoP) useless because it was unable to create peace.

Jakarta – The Indonesia Digital Mobility and Delivery Association (Modantara) has urged the government not to require online taxi and courier platforms to pay a mandatory Ramadan bonus to their driver-partners this year, arguing that such payments should remain voluntary.

Victor Mambor, Jayapura – Weynand Watory of the Papua Customary Council (DAP) described the late Tom Beanal as a true representative of Indigenous Papuans. Watory said Tom Beanal was shaped by strong cultural values from an early age, long before he was enriched by religion, education, and political experience.

Alberth Yomo, Jayapura – Aspirations gathered from Papuan mothers over the past two and a half years have become the foundation for the MRP (The Papuan People's Assembly) of Papuan Province, through its Women's Working Group, to push for a special regulation aimed at protecting Indigenous women.

Antara, Jakarta – Thousands of Australians who wish to travel to Bali have canceled their trips due to flooding, according to a local chamber of the restaurant and hotel association PHRI.

Reiner Brabar, Jayapura – The Papua Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has issued a strong critique stating that Papua is being pushed to the brink of ecological destruction by a coalition of oligarchs, capitalism and the state, hiding behind the narrative of investment and green development.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Former presidential candidate Anies Baswedan has highlighted concerns over the rise of political dynasties in Indonesia, noting that the country's democratic system often enables the concentration of power within certain families.

According to him, such practices have become increasingly evident in recent years.

Jakarta – Lokataru Foundation Director Delpedro Marhaen has questioned the legal proceedings against the police officers who killed an online motorbike taxi driver (ojek) named Affan Kurniawan, who was run over by a police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) tactical vehicle during a demonstration in Jakarta last August.

The demand was presented during a hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court on Friday, February 27, 2026.

Gembong Hanung, Jakarta – The government's plan to recruit thousands of forest rangers to combat forest crimes has been met with doubts over their authority in safeguarding forests, with questions lingering over efforts to rein in extractive businesses that have devastated swaths of the country's remaining forests.

Divya Karyza, Jakarta – Industry players warn that a push to diversify investment in Indonesia's minerals sector under the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) signed with the United States last week must not disrupt the nickel ecosystem.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia has denied that it has picked sides in the major power rivalry, amidst concerns that the newly signed US trade agreement is one of Washington's tools to exclude China from global trade.

Endang Mulyani, Jakarta – A coalition of tobacco control groups has rejected the government's plan to add a new cigarette excise tax tier proposed by Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, saying it would weaken tobacco control. The plan drew attention after the Finance Ministry said it is considering taxing illegal cigarettes to raise state revenue.

Ria Fortuna Wijaya, Jakarta – Indonesia's Agreement on Reciprocal Tariff (ART) with the United States is increasingly seen by economists as a structural policy gamble rather than a straightforward export breakthrough.

Antara, Jakarta – Rapid expansion of modern retailers have led to a sharp decline in Indonesia's mom-and-pop stores, coloquially known as "warung kelontong", according to the street vendor association APKLI.

Wahroni, Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Villages Minister Yandri Susanto has denied plans to shut down modern minimarkets such as Alfamart and Indomaret in rural areas, clarifying that the government is only considering halting new expansion permits to protect small local businesses.

Jakarta – A student alliance protesting at the National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) in Jakarta dispersed after conveying five demands related to the assault of a junior high school student with the initials AT by Maluku Regional Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) member Brigadier Mesias Siahaya, which resulted in his death.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – The Executive Board of the University of Indonesia Student Senate (BEM UI) staged a demonstration in front of the Indonesian National Police Headquarters on Friday, February 27, 2026, presenting five key demands to the police institution.

Responding to the sentence demands of the public prosecutor against Delpedro Marhaen and his three colleagues in the incitement case related to the August 2025 mass protests being heard at the Central Jakarta District Court, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said:

Paul Gregoire – West Papuan provisional government president Benny Wenda has called on Pacific leaders to condemn the ongoing occupation of his peoples' country by Indonesia, as Jakarta, the so-called administrator of the region, has again been carrying out aerial and land raids upon villages in the West Papuan highlands, specifically in Puncak Regency, commencing on 31 January 2026

Ricky Juliansyah, Jakarta – Around 500 students who are members of the student executive board of the University of Indonesia (BEM UI) are set to stage a protest at the Indonesian National Police (Polri) Headquarters in Jakarta this afternoon, Friday, February 27, 2026. The students are demanding immediate police reform.

Agencies, Jakarta – The Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced the son of an Interpol-wanted oil tycoon to 15 years in prison on Friday in connection with a corruption scheme estimated to have cost the government $17 billion.

Muhammad Kerry Adrianto Riza is the highest-profile defendant to be convicted in the sprawling scandal involving state-owned energy firm Pertamina.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – Riandy Laksono, an economist at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), has argued that Indonesia stands to gain minimal economic benefit from its new trade agreement with the United States.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara marked its first anniversary on Feb. 24 with an ambitious mandate: oversee the country's vast state-owned enterprise (SOE) portfolio and steer multibillion-dollar strategic projects.

Jakarta – A Jakarta court on Thursday sentenced former Pertamina Patra Niaga chief executive Riva Siahaan to nine years in prison after finding him guilty of corruption linked to the illegal blending of fuel products.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The proposal to raise the threshold for parliamentary seats has faced rejection from several political parties, both inside and outside the parliament. The Labor Party is among the parties opposing the proposal.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Sugiono stated that the Kingdom of Jordan is ready to support Indonesia in sending military personnel to the Gaza Strip, Palestine, through the International Stabilization Force (ISF).

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Applications from foreign nationals seeking Indonesian citizenship have increased in recent years, but approvals have declined sharply as the government tightens naturalization requirements, a senior official said on Thursday.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The National Coordinator of the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI), Ubaid Matraji, strongly criticized the government's plan to launch MBG-TV. He believes the policy ignores urgent issues, specifically food poisoning cases in schools and the weak oversight of the program.

Divya Kariza, Jakarta – The government is urging the European Union to comply with a World Trade Organization ruling on the bloc's discriminatory policies against Indonesian palm oil, after the 12-month implementation period concluded on Tuesday.

Denpasar – The Denpasar District Court delivered lengthy jail terms to two British men on Thursday after they were found guilty of smuggling cocaine into Bali.

Kial Garth Robinson was sentenced to 11 years, while Paul Ezra Wilkinson landed a term of nine years.

Both were also ordered to pay a fine of around $60,000 or serve an additional 190 days.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) chair Muhammad Isnur believes President Prabowo Subianto has violated the constitution by signing the reciprocal trade agreement with his US counterpart Donald Trump, as well as the Board of peace charter.

Surabaya – Civil Society activists in Surabaya held the 899th Kamisan (Thursday) Action to stand in solidarity with and demand justice for Arianto Tawakal (14), a student at the Maluku Tenggara State Madrasah Tsanawiyah (religious high school, MT), who died after being assaulted by a member of the National Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) in Tual, Maluku.

During the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, Switzerland, international human rights and faith-based organizations will convene a side event on 4 March, titled Human Rights in Indonesia – The Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment.

Dian Rahma Fika Alnina, Jakarta – The Indonesian Press Council is preparing to clarify its stance on how the trade agreement between Indonesia and the United States could affect the country's media sector. The council, which oversees dozens of Indonesian media organizations, held a closed meeting on Thursday afternoon, February 26, 2026, to discuss its position.

Hanaa Septiana, Jakarta – The phenomenon of microplastic-contaminated rainfall has been a hot topic of discussion since late 2025. Researchers found microplastic content in rainwater across several regions in East Java, posing dangers if consumed. The East Java Provincial Government has responded to these findings.

Agathe Bounfour – On February 20, Indonesia and the United States agreed to a new trade deal, with US$15 billion specifically allocated for fossil fuel imports. This deal is part of a broader series of global fossil fuel agreements promoted under the US "Energy Dominance Agenda," which aims to expand domestic fossil fuel production and boost exports.

Max Lane – There's potentially a new party in town, if it's not nipped in the bud before the next elections in Indonesia.

Matt Birney – Estrella Resources is on the cusp of banking its first revenue after pulling a 22,600-tonne market sample from a freshly mined small open pit in the emerging mineral frontier of Timor-Leste.

The company extracted the first payable ore from its Ira Miri project under a 30,000-tonne extraction permit to test market suitability for its manganese product.

Addin Anugrah Siwi, Jakarta – The Defense Ministry has denied claims that it is backing or facilitating a plan to import 105,000 vehicles from India, saying the ministry's only involvement with Indian-made pickups was the receipt of a small number of donated vehicles for disaster relief.

There is a flawed logic behind the latest policy to stabilize food prices. In an attempt to intervene in the market, the government decided to give state-owned enterprises (SOEs) control over the strategic food commodity supply chain. As opposed to providing solutions, the approach could actually create critical problems for the economy.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Both Russia and Ukraine have reacted quite differently to Indonesia's abstention in a UN resolution on a truce, with Moscow saying that it understands why Jakarta is not picking sides.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Forum of Retired Indonesian Military (TNI) Members (FPP) has called on President Prabowo Subianto to withdraw the plan to deploy 8,000 Indonesian troops to the Palestinian enclave, Gaza. Indonesia's involvement in the Trump-backed International Stabilization Force (ISF) is deemed a violation of the country's constitution.

Antara, Jakarta – Former Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, emphasized the importance of maintaining security and order in the tourism sector, particularly in Bali. Therefore, he believes that firm actions need to be taken against potential tourists who could tarnish the tourism industry's image.

Dian Rahma Fika Alnina, Jakarta – Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, the deputy head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), admitted to receiving reports about price markups in the free nutritious meals (MBG) program. According to her, the owners of several Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPGs) or public kitchens, marked up the raw materials used for the free meals.