Is Iran ready for truce? Tehran welcomes Indonesia offer to mediate US-Iran conflict

The Iranian embassy in Jakarta welcomed Indonesia's offer to mediate between Tehran and Washington after joint US and Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top leaders of the Islamic Republic. The development signals a softening in Tehran's stance, even as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed the "most intense offensive operation in history" following the death of Khamenei.

Indonesia's foreign ministry on Sunday (Mar 1) said President Prabowo Subianto was willing to travel to Tehran to carry out mediation if agreed by both parties. The Iranian embassy welcomed "the readiness of the President of the Republic of Indonesia to mediate in this conflict," the mission said in a statement.

It further "emphasised the importance of taking a firm stance by Indonesian officials in condemning the aggression and crimes of the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel."

Major cities across Gulf countries, including Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Manama, continue to reel under a massive barrage of missiles and drones launched by the Iranian military as the conflict between the US, Israel, and the Islamic Republic enters its second day.

The UAE Ministry of Defence said Iran launched 137 ballistic missiles and 209 drones towards UAE territory, of which 132 missiles were intercepted mid-air, and five fell into the sea. Of the drones, 195 were intercepted, and 14 landed, causing limited damage from debris and shrapnel. The retaliation from Iran followed a massive coordinated aerial campaign, codenamed Operation Roaring Lion by Israel and Operation Epic Fury by the United States, which struck multiple sites across Iran.

The strikes targeted government buildings in Tehran and suspected nuclear facilities, reportedly aiming to decapitate the highest levels of Iranian leadership. US President Donald Trump announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the joint strikes and said, "Heavy and pinpoint bombing will continue uninterrupted throughout the week, or as long as necessary to achieve peace throughout the Middle East."

Confirming the death, the IRGC, in a series of statements via state media and Telegram, declared that the "killer of the Imam" would face "severe, decisive, and deterrent punishment."In response, the US president said Washington would hit Iran with "force that has never been seen before" if it retaliated against US and Israeli strikes.

The region remains on edge as US and Israeli military forces continue to strike strategic targets across Iran, aiming to dismantle the remnants of the regime's command structure. In a violent retaliatory wave, Iranian missiles and drones have lit up the night skies over US allies across the region, including the UAE, Qatar, Behrain and Saudi Arabia.

(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)