Jakarta. Indonesia began evacuating tens of its citizens from Iran on Friday, according to the Foreign Ministry, as the fighting in the Middle East remains unabated. 

Countries are now rushing to get their citizens out of Iran as the US and Israel continue to bomb the country. Heni Hamidah, a senior official at the Foreign Ministry, said that Indonesia would evacuate 32 people in the first batch “for now”. Their routes back home are subject to change depending on the situation on the ground.

“We are only getting started, so we will continue to keep tabs on the situation,” Heni told a presser in Jakarta.

“The evacuees will go through Azerbaijan. Their routes hinge on the real-time conditions on the ground. … But we will decide on [when to hold the] next round of evacuation by taking into account the most updated security considerations,” Heni said. 

The Indonesian community in Iran reaches approximately 329 individuals, most of whom are students. They mainly reside in the country’s seventh-largest metropolis, Qom. Heni signaled there might be Indonesians who had gone on a trip to Tehran before the conflict erupted. Heni went on to say that the diplomatic representatives would continue to “engage with the Indonesians” who wish to stay in Tehran despite the latest developments. The government only evacuates people who voluntarily request repatriation.

The war has also caused major airspace shutdowns in the Middle East, leaving countless Indonesian flyers stranded. These people have found temporary accommodation as they wait for their next flights. Heni told the Jakarta Globe that some people had their lodgings provided by the “airlines and travel agencies”. Indonesia’s diplomatic representatives are also open to providing a place to sleep.

The same goes for the Indonesian Umrah pilgrims stuck in Saudi Arabia. They are staying somewhere close to the Jeddah and Medina airports. Chances for the conflict to end soon are slim.

US President Donald Trump has said that the Iran war could last “four to five weeks”, while boasting how the American military could extend the bombardment far longer. Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Boroujerdi told the press on Thursday that “only the battlefield would decide who would run out of ammunition first”.

Six days have passed since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, prompting Tehran's retaliation. US allies in the Gulf also have to cope with Iranian attacks.

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