Indonesia’s US-Iran peace broker bid faces long odds: ‘we are nothing to them’
Indonesia’s president offered to fly to Tehran in person, but critics say joining Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ cost Jakarta its neutrality
Jakarta’s offer came on Saturday, hours after US and Israeli strikes began hitting Iran. Prabowo was willing to travel to Tehran in person if all parties agreed to talks, Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
It expressed “deep regret” for the attacks and urged restraint, dialogue and diplomacy. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sugiono called his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to press the case, saying Indonesia stood ready to play “a constructive role in advancing peace” and prevent “the unnecessary loss of innocent lives”.
Iran’s response was courteous but non-committal. Mohammad Boroujerdi, Tehran’s ambassador to Jakarta, said on Monday that he “appreciates” the good intentions – before noting, with diplomatic precision, that no concrete steps had yet been taken: “we still do not know whether such steps will have an impact or influence or not”.
Meanwhile, the death toll continues to climb. US and Israeli strikes had killed at least 555 people across Iran as of Monday, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.