Iranians are ‘wary’ of fresh talks with US after being tricked twice: Indonesian president

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has said that Iranians are “wary” of fresh talks with the US amid ongoing conflict, which has spread to regional nations, according to a media report on Sunday, Anadolu reports.

In an interview broadcast on Sunday, Prabowo told Bloomberg that Iranians recently told him they were wary of entering into negotiations with the US because they felt “basically they have been tricked” twice.

In an asymmetrical war, “they really just have to survive,” he said.

Oman was mediating the latest round of talks between Tehran and Washington over Iran when the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation on regional nations.

Prabowo stated that he is willing to mediate and travel to Iran if both parties agree.

“We are all confused,” he said of the US-Israel war with Iran. “And I’m saddened. I don’t feel there’s any rationality in this,” he added.

“My advice is always to look for the peaceful option,” the president said, urging all sides to show willingness to engage in any mediation.

READ: Iran says ready for joint probe with regional states over attacked targets

Prabowo also reiterated Indonesia’s support for the two-state solution in Palestine, particularly within the US President Donald Trump-led Board of Peace (BoP).

“Every policy will have pros and cons,” he said on the BoP.

“If we are inside BoP, we can still influence and work toward a lasting solution, which in our view is an independent Palestine — a two-state solution,” he stressed.

He said Jakarta’s plan to send peacekeeping troops to Gaza is now on “hold.”

Jakarta had pledged 8,000 troops for deployment under the International Stabilization Force to the devastated Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

Regional tensions have flared since Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting “US military assets.”

READ: Indonesia suspends participation in Board of Peace following attack on Iran