Evacuation Can Only Be Overland, Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Communications With Neighboring Iran

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

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating with neighboring countries around Iran, related to contingency and evacuation steps for Indonesian citizens (WNI), following the increase in the status of the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran, from Alert 2 to Alert 1.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said the only evacuation route that could be used at this time was by land.

"Land roads, air routes cannot. There are several (safe points)," said the Indonesian Foreign Minister when asked about the evacuation route for Indonesian citizens from Iran, when giving information to journalists from Russia, as quoted on Thursday, June 19.

Foreign Minister Sugiono decided to increase 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.

"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.

"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.

"The plane cannot, the only route (evacuation) is now a land route," said the Indonesian Foreign Minister.

"We continue to communicate Indonesian citizens in Iran to always establish close and close communication with the embassy," he added.

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.