UN Is Not a Place to Complain, Indonesia Opens Iran Mediation Channel

JAKARTA - Former Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda considers the UN no longer functioning as a place to complain when military attacks occur. He said the rules-based order was "on paper", while the world faced an escalation of attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, which could have an impact on global security and the economy.

Hassan said the President gave a briefing at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta, Tuesday, March 3, on the latest developments, especially the war - or the American and Israeli attacks on Iran. The implications, said Hassan, were discussed down to the most basic question, namely when the world order is ineffective, "there is no longer any opportunity for the country that is the victim of a military attack to complain to whom," especially when it comes to big countries.

The President, according to Hassan, described Indonesia now has to navigate not only "two reefs", but "several reefs". This is also calculated from the economic side. The potential effects of war on supplies, oil and gas. "We calculate all the effects on us from that side alone," he said.

Hassan alluded to the calculation of the duration of the conflict, which has also changed. "Previously Trump said how many days but now he is talking about how many weeks," he said. If America were to deploy ground troops, he estimated that the war could be longer, and the resistance reaction around the Middle East could grow.

He assessed that the war was a unilateral act, not a war mandated by the United Nations. Hassan reminded the Gulf that it had been hit by three major wars in the last 30 years and that the region had repeatedly become a source of world shocks because much of the oil and gas came from there.

Regarding the discourse on Indonesia becoming a mediator, Hassan said the conditions were clear. There must be acceptance by the two warring parties, and "we have not seen signs of that". Indonesia's position on the Board of Peace (BoP), he said, is still being discussed, but the war raging in Iran could make the BoP's mandate "have to count again".

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sugiono said he had communicated with the Iranian Foreign Minister who called him and explained Iran's position. Indonesia, said Sugiono, regretted the failed negotiations that led to escalation, emphasizing respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, and encouraging a return to the negotiating table.

Sugiono also conveyed the "concern" of Indonesian colleagues in the Gulf countries over the attacks they received. He said Indonesia conveyed President Prabowo's desire to be a mediator to cool down and de-escalate. However, he emphasized that the prerequisites were the same. "If both parties want... Mr. President is willing." Indonesia, said Sugiono, wants to be a "bridge of difference" by offering readiness - but the final decision will return to the warring parties.