Great Institute Nilai Kehadiran Menlu Sugiono di Pemakaman Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Kirim Pesan Kuat

JAKARTA - The Director of Geopolitics of the Great Institute, Dr. Teguh Santosa, assessed that the plan for the presence of Foreign Minister Sugiono at the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Mashhad, Iran, was an important diplomatic message from Indonesia.

According to Teguh, this step shows that Indonesia continues to place relations with Iran as an important part of foreign policy. Moreover, Sugiono is said to be present in the midst of a busy diplomatic agenda when President Prabowo Subianto received visits from the leaders of Belarus, Singapore, and India.

"The presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Sugiono, at the funeral ceremony for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a tangible manifestation of the depth of the diplomatic relations between the two countries," Teguh said in his statement, Tuesday, July 7.

Khamenei's funeral is scheduled to take place on July 9 in Mashhad, about 740 kilometers east of Tehran. Teguh assessed that the presence of the Indonesian Foreign Minister was not just a matter of protocol, but a form of respect for a figure who is considered influential in regional and Islamic world politics.

He said Sugiono's decision to go to Iran was worth seeing as an affirmation of Indonesia's diplomatic stance. Under the Prabowo government, said Teguh, Indonesia wants to show that relations with Iran are maintained within the framework of mutual respect.

"Indonesia does not merely see this as a normal state protocol, but rather as a form of recognition of the deceased's historical role in the regional and Islamic world political constellation," said Teguh.

Teguh also assessed Khamenei as a figure who has an important legacy in the nuclear issue. He said one of Khamenei's attitudes that needs to be noted is his rejection of the development of nuclear weapons of mass destruction.

According to Teguh, Khamenei has consistently supported the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, including energy and medicine. This attitude, he said, shows a worldview that prioritizes common good, not destructive power.

Teguh, who is also the Chairman of the Indonesian Cyber Media Network (JMSI), also touched on Khamenei's death due to a US attack on February 28. He assessed that the event was a great loss for the world and showed the importance of maintaining global stability from unilateral actions that undermine the international order.

Even so, Teguh believes Iran has the political resilience to get through the transition period. He assessed that Iran could still be a balancing force in the Middle East.

According to Teguh, the magnitude of the public wave in the series of Khamenei's funeral was also a message for Washington. He assessed that the policy of war and military intervention in the region had not solved the problem.

He encouraged the United States to return to respecting the peace agreement with Iran and stop provoking. For Teguh, dialogue and respect for the sovereignty of other countries are a more reasonable way to ease tensions in the Middle East.

Teguh said Indonesia's presence in the procession was in line with the principle of free and active foreign policy. Indonesia, he said, was not there to enter into a clashing camp, but to stand for human values and international justice.

"The presence of Foreign Minister Sugiono is a bridge that strengthens Indonesia's bargaining position in efforts to promote world peace," said Teguh, who is also a lecturer in International Relations at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.

He assessed that Prabowo's government's steps could have a positive impact on Indonesia's reputation in the eyes of the world. Indonesia, said Teguh, showed attention to global dynamics that have far-reaching impacts, without abandoning national interests.