Israel Targets Civilian Targets, Indonesian Foreign Minister Increases Alert 1 Status In Iran

Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono. (Source: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono decided to raise the alert status at the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran, following the increase in Israeli attacks and considering the safety of more than 300 Indonesian citizens (WNI) there.

In a statement to reporters from Russia Foreign Minister Sugiono said he had asked the ranks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran to conduct an assessment and plan for the possible evacuation of Indonesian citizens.

"From the development of these two days, where the intensity of the islel attack is increasing, which is targeted is no longer a military target, but also a civilian target, I have decided to increase the level of alertness at the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran from the Alert 2 level to Alert 1," said the Indonesian Foreign Minister as quoted on Thursday, June 19.

"Then also start implementing contingency steps and evacuation steps for Indonesian citizens," he added.

The Indonesian Foreign Minister said that his party had communicated with neighboring countries around Iran so that the evacuation process for Indonesian citizens was made easier when crossing the border.

"As the situation becomes increasingly unfavorable, we hope the tensions end soon," he said.

Previously, the Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Judha Nugraha, said that his party together with the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran (Iran) and the Indonesian Embassy in Amman (Yordania) continued to monitor the development of the Israeli-Iran conflict situation.

"The latest data was recorded that there were 386 Indonesian citizens in Iran, the majority of students and students in Qom City, while the Indonesian Embassy in Amman noted that there were 194 Indonesian citizens in Israel, the majority of participants in educational internships in Rafah City," Judha said in an online press statement on Wednesday.

Israel launched airstrikes in the "Raising Lion" operation targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities on Friday morning last week.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the attack on Friday because it had enough enriched uranium to make several bombs in a few days, so it needed to act, quoted from The Times of Israel.

Israel is known to target three key Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow, as well as a number of scientists linked to Iran's nuclear research and development, as reported by CNN.

Tehran itself said it was entitled to peaceful nuclear power, denying developing nuclear weapons. However, its rapidly growing uranium enrichment program has raised concerns in the West and across the Gulf, the country wants to develop nuclear weapons.