Anwar Siswadi, Jakarta – As one of the parties likely to be affected by the US-Israel war on Iran, the Indonesian government must take a firm stance, said Dina Yulianti Sulaeman, a Middle East geopolitical expert from Padjadjaran University (Unpad).
Indonesia must "demand the US and Israel halt their attacks on Iran" since it violates the UN Charter and "condemns and denounces this illegal attack," she told Tempo on Monday, March 2, 2026.
Indonesia is expected to see fuel price hikes due to the war, which will subsequently affect other commodity prices and pressure the state budget.
Indonesian migrant workers in the Middle East have also been contributing with remittances, and war in the region could force them to return to Indonesia or stop working.
The Indonesian government must take a firm stance, she said, rather than hoping to assume the role of a peacekeeper.
"The mediators, in theory, must have the power to pressure the warring parties, which we do not have. Instead, we are inferior in that aspect," said the international relations lecturer from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Unpad.
Indonesia could also gain momentum from the recent conflict to withdraw from the Board of Peace and the trade pact with the US, justifying it as Washington, who initiated the peace board, has violated the law.
"So, why join the Board of Peace, which clearly is not a credible institution? We have a moral basis to cancel the trade agreement because of the many losses to Indonesia," she said.
The conflict between the US and Iran dates back to 1979, when the Iranian Revolution overthrew King Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, according to Dina.
The establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran damaged the interests of the United States, which had previously been an ally of the Iranian regime.
Since then, America has always attempted to overthrow the government in Iran, by various means, such as economic sanctions, funding terrorist groups, and using democracy as a scapegoat.
"But only in Trump's regime does the United States openly wage war with Iran," she said.
Since becoming an Islamic Republic, the Iranian government has declared its support for Palestinian independence. Iran has also developed missiles capable of attacking Israel.
Iran's military power, according to Dina, worries Israel. "For Iran, this is also an existential problem in which not fighting could mean destruction," Dina said.
The war is likely to resume, Dina believed, as the UK has already become involved by granting permission to Washington to use its military base in the Middle East. "This will escalate even further," Dina said.
Meanwhile, the surrounding Arab countries are likely to back the US despite the increasingly unsafe situations in their countries, with airports and businesses closed. As for Iran, which has been preparing for war for a long time, its main goal is to overthrow the Zionist regime.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2090339/indonesia-urged-to-take-firm-stance-against-iran-wa