The Impact of The US-Israel vs Iran Conflict Escalation On The Phenomenon Of Panic Buying In Indonesia: A Securitization Theory Perspective

Abstract

The escalation of military conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has heightened geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and sparked anxiety in the global energy market. In Indonesia, this uncertainty triggered a phenomenon of fuel panic buying, largely driven by the public's heightened threat perception resulting from circulating crisis narratives rather than actual physical supply shortages. This study aims to analyze the impact of the U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict escalation on panic buying phenomena in Indonesia through the lens of Securitization Theory. Utilizing a descriptive-qualitative method with a systematic literature review, secondary data were gathered from academic journals, official government reports, and reliable media documentation, which were then processed using discourse analysis techniques. The findings reveal that government statements regarding national energy reserve limits were over-interpreted by the public (over-acceptance). The combination of information asymmetry, historical trauma from past crises, and social media viral content transformed state speech acts into triggers for irrational consumption, leading to artificial shortages across regions and a dramatic surge in national energy subsidy expenditures. This study concludes that fuel panic buying in Indonesia was primarily driven by perceived risk and ineffective public communication dynamics rather than a genuine supply deficit. As a recommendation, the government must design more transparent, measured, and cohesive crisis communication strategies to prevent over-securitization from causing moral panic, while simultaneously strengthening data-driven fuel distribution governance and accelerating the energy transition to reduce national vulnerability to global geopolitical shocks.