JK Ragukan Prabowo Jadi Mediator Konflik AS–Israel vs Iran

Former Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Former Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Jusuf Kalla (JK) responded to President Prabowo Subianto's plan to become a mediator in the conflict between the United States (US) and Israel with Iran.

JK assessed that the effort was not easy, especially in the midst of global geopolitical dynamics and Indonesia's bilateral relations with the United States.

"Unfortunately, Indonesia has entered into an unbalanced agreement, and it is very detrimental to Indonesia. That's all we are not equal to America. How do you reconcile unequal people in this situation?" said JK in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Sunday, March 1.

According to JK, President Prabowo's intention is a good step, but its realization will face great challenges.

"The plan is good, but this is a situation that is much bigger than the problem," he said.

He added that conflicts in the Middle East often involve complex global interests. Even the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has lasted for decades, has yet to find a peaceful solution.

"Israel and Palestine alone cannot, it is difficult to reconcile, because this world is very determined by the attitude of America," said JK.

As previously reported, Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday (28/2/2026). US President Donald Trump then stated that the US military had begun a massive combat operation in Iran.

One of the joint US-Israeli attacks reportedly consisted of seven rockets that hit Tehran, including an area said to be near the residence of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In response, Iran launched rocket attacks on Israel as well as a number of other targets in the Gulf region, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.

On March 1, 2026, the Iranian government confirmed the death of Ali Khamenei and declared a 40-day mourning period and a week-long national holiday.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously stated that President Prabowo Subianto was ready to leave for Iran to facilitate dialogue to create a conducive security condition in the region.

However, according to JK, the success of mediation will depend very much on the bargaining position and the balance of power between the countries involved in the conflict.