TOP NEWS

• The Guardian — Trump expressed that the US campaign against Iran was projected to last four to five weeks but could extend far longer, framing the strikes as necessary to dismantle Tehran’s nuclear and missile capabilities and eliminate what he described as an escalating strategic threat to the United States.
• Al Jazeera — At least 555 people have been killed in escalating U.S.-Israeli strikes across Iran, with growing civilian casualties and reported damage to hospitals and residential areas, as Tehran intensifies retaliatory attacks on Israel and U.S. assets across the Gulf, raising the risk of broader regional destabilization.

Global Politics and Economy

• Reuters — Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed and warned it will attack any vessel attempting to transit the chokepoint, escalating the conflict with the U.S. and Israel and threatening roughly 20% of global oil flows, with significant implications for energy markets and global trade.
• Reuters — Escalating Middle East conflict has jolted global markets, sending oil and natural gas sharply higher, lifting energy and defense stocks, pressuring airlines and Middle East assets, and pushing investors toward the dollar and gold amid rising risk aversion.
• The Jakarta Post — China has urged an immediate ceasefire and renewed diplomacy to contain the escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict, confirming one Chinese national was killed in Tehran and evacuating over 3,000 citizens as regional tensions spill across the Gulf.
• Reuters — India, China, Japan and South Korea remain heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil and LNG, with India sourcing 55% of its crude, Japan 95%, and Korea 70% from the region, underscoring Asia’s vulnerability to prolonged supply disruptions amid escalating Iran-related tensions, even as strategic reserves provide varying degrees of short-term buffer.
• Reuters — The U.S. State Department has urged Americans to immediately depart more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as escalating U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran heighten regional security risks and trigger concerns over prolonged conflict and energy market disruption.
• Tempo — The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Indonesia, Mohammad Boroujerdi, expressed appreciation for President Prabowo’s mediation offer but noted that no concrete steps have followed, questioned whether such an initiative could meaningfully influence the escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict, and reiterated Tehran’s stance against negotiations with Washington.

Domestic Politics and Economy

• The Jakarta Post — Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia expressed that while global oil prices are rising amid the US-Iran conflict, Indonesia’s fuel reserves remain secure for the next 20 days, and subsidized fuel supplies have not been disrupted, with the government preparing alternative import sources to contain inflationary pressure.
• The Jakarta Post — Rising domestic frustration and the viral #KaburAjaDulu trend are accelerating Indonesian migration to Japan, where strong labor demand, structured visa pathways, and reliable public services are drawing a growing number of skilled and semi-skilled workers seeking stability and better prospects.
• Tempo — President Prabowo Subianto expressed that food stocks, fuel supplies, and prices of essential commodities must remain stable and affordable through Ramadan and Eid, while instructing ministers to anticipate global oil volatility linked to the Strait of Hormuz disruption and intensifying Middle East tensions.
• The Jakarta Post — BPS official Ateng Hartono expressed that February’s 4.76 percent inflation (the highest in nearly three years) was largely driven by a low base effect from last year’s electricity subsidy and seasonal Ramadan demand, rather than a broad-based surge in underlying price pressures.
• Antara — Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno expressed that with an estimated 143.9 million Indonesians expected to travel during Eid al-Fitr 2026, the government is extending holidays, adjusting school schedules, and enforcing safety and disaster-mitigation measures to manage mobility risks and ensure smooth, secure travel nationwide.
• The Jakarta Post — BPS official Ateng Hartono said Indonesia’s trade surplus narrowed to US$954 million in January, as an 18 percent surge in imports, particularly machinery and capital goods, outpaced modest export growth, despite strong CPO shipments, signaling firm domestic demand but rising vulnerability to energy and commodity swings.
• The Jakarta Post — Former vice president and retired Army general Try Sutrisno, who served under President Soeharto from 1993 to 1998 and previously led the armed forces, has died at 90 and will be laid to rest at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta.

Business and Investment

• Antara — Indonesian Trade Minister Budi Santoso said the launch of negotiations on the Indonesia–Uzbekistan Free Trade Agreement marks a strategic step toward deepening trade and investment ties, expanding market access, and strengthening value chains, as both countries seek more structured and sustainable economic cooperation.
• The Jakarta Post — As Cyprus assumes the EU Council presidency for the first half of 2026, it is positioning the bloc as a stable and reliable trade partner amid geopolitical volatility, while signaling stronger engagement with Indonesia through the IEU-CEPA framework and expanded cooperation in trade, investment and regional stability.