Indonesia continues evacuation despite Iran-Israel ceasefire
JAKARTA: Indonesia is continuing to evacuate its nationals from Iran, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday amid fears of further Israeli bombardments despite ceasefire claims.
The Indonesian Embassy in Tehran has been on its highest alert since June 19, following a week of Israeli attacks on Iranian cities that Tel Aviv claimed were aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Along with countries which evacuated their citizens from Iran amid growing destruction from Israeli attacks, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has moved 96 Indonesian citizens to Baku, Azerbaijan in its first phase of evacuation.
'There will be a second phase of evacuation, the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran is currently taking registration from other Indonesian citizens who wish to be evacuated,' Andy Rachmianto, director-general for protocol and consular affairs, told Arab News on Wednesday.
After Iran retaliated to Israel's initial attacks with ballistic missile strikes, the two countries have been trading missiles, with the Israeli military increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure.
According to the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Israeli military attacks have killed more than 600 people and wounded over 5,300 others.
Over the weekend, the US joined Israel in attacking Iran by striking Iranian nuclear facilities. In retaliation, Tehran launched a missile attack on the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military base in the Middle East.
Hours later, on Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire.
The Indonesian foreign affairs ministry said that its missions throughout the Middle East are 'closely monitoring' the escalating situation between Israel, Iran and the US.
'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages Indonesian citizens who are now in the Middle East to increase vigilance and to continue monitoring the security situation as well as instructions issued by local authorities, and to avoid locations of assets belonging to countries in the conflict,' it said in a statement on Tuesday.
Judha Nugraha, the director of citizen protection, told Arab News that the ministry is 'ready to facilitate' the next evacuation.
There are nearly 400 Indonesian nationals living in Iran, most of whom are students, the ministry's latest data showed.
On Tuesday, 11 Indonesians from the first group of evacuees arrived in Jakarta, to be followed by the arrival of 48 Indonesian nationals and one foreign national married to an Indonesian on Wednesday evening.
The rest of the group is scheduled to land in Jakarta on Thursday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
40 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
IRGC commander Ali Shadmani dies of injuries from Israeli attacks, Iran confirms
Ali Shadmani, a senior Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, died of wounds sustained during Israel's military strikes on Iran, the IRGC confirmed on Wednesday. Israel's armed forces had said on June 17 that it killed Shadmani, who it identified as Iran's wartime chief of staff and most senior military commander.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Iran Hangs Three More Accused of Spying for Israel
Iran on Wednesday hanged three men convicted of spying for Israel after what activists decried as an unfair trial, bringing to six the number of people executed on such charges since the start of the war between the Islamic republic and Israel. The hangings have also amplified fears for the life of Swedish-Iranian dual national Ahmadreza Djalali who has been on death row for seven-and-a-half years after being convicted of spying for Israel which his family vehemently denies. The executions also bring to nine the number of people executed by Iran on espionage charges since the start of 2025, with activists accusing Tehran of using capital punishment as a means to instil fear in society. Idris Ali, Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul and Azad Shojai were executed earlier Wednesday in the northwestern city of Urmia, the judiciary said, the day after a truce between the Islamic republic and Israel came into effect, AFP reported. They had "attempted to import equipment into the country to carry out assassinations," it added. Iran had executed three other men accused of spying for Israel since the start of the conflict on June 13, in separate hangings on June 16, June 22 and June 23. "The Islamic Republic sentenced Idris Ali, Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul, and Azad Shojai to death without a fair trial and based on confessions obtained under torture, accusing them of espionage," Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR), told AFP. He said Ali and Shojai were two border porters -- known locally as kolbar -- who carry goods over the border. "They were arrested on charges of smuggling alcoholic beverages but were forced to confess to espionage for Israel," he said. Ali and Shojai were members of Iran's Kurdish minority while Rasoul, while also Kurdish, was an Iraqi national. - 'Imminent risk' - He warned that in the coming weeks the lives of "hundreds" more prisoners sentenced to death were at risk. "After the ceasefire with Israel, the Islamic republic needs more repression to cover up military failures, prevent protests, and ensure its continued survival." Djalali was arrested in 2016 and sentenced to death in October 2017 on charges of spying following what Amnesty International has termed "a grossly unfair trial" based on "'forced confessions' made under torture and other ill-treatment." Long held in Tehran's Evin prison, which was hit by an Israeli strike on Monday before the truce, he has now been transferred to an unknown location, raising fears that his execution could be imminent, his family and government said. "He called me and said, 'They're going to transfer me.' I asked where, and he said, 'I don't know,'" his wife Vida Mehrannia told AFP. "Is it because they want to carry out the sentence? Or for some other reason? I don't know," she said, adding that she was "very worried" following the latest executions. The Swedish foreign ministry said it had received information that he has been moved to an "unknown location" and warned there would be "serious consequences" for Sweden's relationship with Iran were he to be executed. Amnesty International said Tuesday it was "gravely concerned" that he "is at imminent risk of execution". - 'Grossly unfair trials' - Rights groups say defendants in espionage cases are often convicted under vaguely-worded charges which are capital crimes under Iran's sharia law including "enmity against god" and "corruption on earth". Analysts say that Israel's intelligence service Mossad has deeply penetrated Iran, as shown by its ability to locate and kill key members of the Iranian security forces in the conflict. But rights groups say that those executed are used as scapegoats to make up for Iran's failure to catch the actual spies. Iran's judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei had ordered swift trials against people suspected of collaborating with Israel with rights groups saying dozens of people have been arrested since the conflict started. "A rush to execute people after torture-tainted 'confessions' and grossly unfair trials would be a horrifying abuse of power and a blatant assault on the right to life," said Hussein Baoumi, deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. According to IHR, Iran has executed 594 people on all charges this year alone.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Armenia PM says foiled ‘sinister' coup plot by senior cleric
Pashinyan has been at loggerheads with the Church since its head, Catholicos Garegin II, began calling for his resignation'Law enforcement officers have foiled a large-scale and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy' to destabilize the situation,' Pashinyan wroteYEREVAN: Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Wednesday that the security forces had foiled a coup plot involving a senior cleric, the latest twist in his escalating conflict with the powerful Apostolic has been at loggerheads with the Church since its head, Catholicos Garegin II, began calling for his resignation following Armenia's disastrous 2020 military defeat to arch-foe Azerbaijan over the then-disputed Karabakh dispute escalated after Baku seized full control of the region in 2023. Pashinyan started pushing an unpopular peace deal with Azerbaijan that would essentially renounce Yerevan's claims to a region many Armenians see as their ancestral homeland.'Law enforcement officers have foiled a large-scale and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy' to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Armenia and seize power,' Pashinyan wrote on his Telegram channel early authorities arrested Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a charismatic senior church figure trying to rally opposition to Pashinyan, accusing him of trying to mastermind the attempted coup.'Since November 2024 (he) set himself the goal of changing power by means not permitted by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia,' said the Investigative Committee, which probes major Apostolic Church wields considerable influence in Armenia, which in the fourth century became the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state who leads the opposition movement Sacred Struggle, last year accused Pashinyan of ceding territory to Azerbaijan and led mass protests that ultimately failed to topple the prime lawyer, Ruben Melikyan, condemned the case as politically told reporters the archbishop 'acts independently' and said case materials showed no connection to the Investigative Committee said it had arrested 14 people and launched criminal proceedings against 16 suspects after raids of more than 90 premises in a case related to Galstanyan's Sacred Struggle photos of guns and ammunition found during a series of raids, it alleged that Galstanyan had 'acquired the necessary means and tools to carry out terrorist acts and seize power.'It also released covert recordings suggesting Galstanyan and his allies had called to execute officials, imprison opponents, and suppress any resistance by force.'We either kill, or we die,' said a man, whose voice was said to resemble that of Galstanyan, in one of the legal team said it expected he would be 'charged with terrorism and attempted seizure of power.'The website published footage showing Galstanyan leaving his house accompanied by masked police officers, who escorted him into a car and drove him away.'Evil, listen carefully — whatever you do, you have very little time left. Hold on, we are coming,' he said, apparently addressing Pashinyan,A crowd of supporters outside shouted, 'Nikol is a traitor!'The loss of Karabakh has divided Armenia, as Azerbaijan has demanded sweeping concessions in exchange for lasting earlier this month alleged Garegin II had an illegitimate child and, in an unprecedented challenge to the church, called on believers to remove him from triggered fierce opposition and calls for Pashinyan himself to be Galstanyan, a follower of Garegin II, catapulted to the forefront of Armenian politics in 2024 as he galvanized mass protests and sought to impeach charismatic cleric temporarily stepped down from his religious post to challenge Pashinyan for prime minister — though as a dual Armenian-Canadian citizen, he is not eligible to hold the grip on power, boosted by unpopular opposition parties and strong support in parliament, has so far remained unshaken.A former journalist and opposition lawmaker, he came to power after leading street protests that escalated into a peaceful revolution in 2018.
