Malaysians in Iran rely on SMS amid roaming shutdown
Malaysia's Ambassador to Iran, Khairi Omar, who led the group, told the media they had to travel by land for about 1,000 kilometres to exit Tehran.
23 Jun 2025 11:04am
Malaysia's Ambassador to Iran, Khairi Omar (second, left) said roaming services in the country, including WhatsApp, are currently blocked. - Bernama photo
SEPANG - As tensions in Iran escalated following Israel's retaliatory strikes, residents in the country were forced to rely on the old-school Short Message Service (SMS) to stay in touch with family members and relevant parties.
Malaysia's Ambassador to Iran, Khairi Omar, said roaming services in the country, including WhatsApp, are currently blocked. A group of 24 individuals, including 17 Malaysians, safely touched down at KLIA Terminal 1 after being evacuated from Iran amidst escalating conflict. - Bernama photo
"In Iran, SMS communication is still open between local Iranian numbers. Domestically, people can still stay in touch. However, if we try to call an Iranian number from here, it won't go through, as roaming services have been shut down. But calls from Iran to outside the country are still possible. So, we've resorted to the old-fashioned way, text messages, which not many people use anymore.
"WhatsApp messages and similar platforms were completely inaccessible, though I believe some access is gradually returning, but still tightly controlled to ensure that sensitive information related to security issues isn't leaked,' he spoke to reporters last night.
He arrived from Iran with a group of 24 individuals, comprising 17 Malaysians, six Iranian dependents of Malaysian citizens, and one Singaporean.
Khairi said the situation in Iran was volatile, with both foreign nationals and locals equally shocked by the severity of the attack, which he described as drastic.
"After a day or two, we began to observe a pattern in the attacks. They were more intense at night, while during the day, it seemed as though both sides had come to a mutual understanding to scale back the assaults.
"As we all know, they already identified the targets, and if one side launched a strike on certain facilities, the other side would respond. But we were always on high alert because if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, you could easily find yourself in a situation you definitely wouldn't want to be in,' he said.
The government ordered the temporary closure of the Malaysian Embassy in Iran, instructing all embassy personnel in the country to return home immediately.
Meanwhile, a trader, Fadhil Yusni, 33, expressed his gratitude at being reunited with his wife, Zainab Ganood, an Iranian national who was visiting her parents.
"I panicked because I couldn't reach my wife. Alhamdulillah, tonight I feel grateful. Thank you to the government and the Foreign Ministry for evacuating my wife out of Iran,' he said, adding that he is now finding the best way to help his wife's family leave the conflict-stricken country safely.
Tensions erupted on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on several locations across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to retaliate. - BERNAMA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
22 minutes ago
- The Star
China says US attack on Iran has damaged its credibility
A US Air Force B-2 stealth bomber returns after the U.S. attacked key Iranian nuclear sites, at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, US June 22, 2025 in a still image from video. China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong said parties should restrain the "impulse of force, avoid exacerbating conflicts and adding fuel to the fire." - ABC Affiliate KMBC via Reuters HONG KONG: China said the US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has damaged Washington's credibility and Beijing was concerned that the situation "may go out of control", its state broadcaster reported, following a UN Security Council meeting on Sunday (June 22). President Donald Trump said the US had "obliterated" Tehran's key nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution. The UN Security Council met on Sunday to discuss US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites as Russia, China and Pakistan proposed the 15-member body adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East. China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong said parties should restrain the "impulse of force, avoid exacerbating conflicts and adding fuel to the fire," according to the state broadcaster CCTV. Fu said parties, especially Israel, "should immediately cease fire to prevent the situation from escalating and avoid the spillover of war." Iran was hurt "but the United States credibility was also damaged - both as a country and as a participant in any international negotiations," Fu said. State media commentary late on Sunday said the US move was extremely dangerous and provocative. The Global Times newspaper in an opinion piece, said external military interference would never bring peace, and only "deepen regional hatred and trauma." Separately China's embassy in Iran said late on Sunday that most Chinese citizens in Iran had been evacuated safely, and those remaining were not in high-risk areas. - Reuters
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
South Korea's Lee says Middle East situation is "very urgent"
SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Monday that the situation in the Middle East was "very urgent" and financial markets were becoming unstable due to increasing uncertainty. Lee also called on his senior aides to prepare additional measures that could be incorporated into an extra budget already proposed if needed. Major share indexes slipped in Asia on Monday and oil prices briefly hit five-month highs as investors anxiously waited to see if Iran would retaliate against US attacks on its nuclear sites, with resulting risks to global activity and inflation. "First of all, the situation in the Middle East is very urgent. I think that all ministries, including the presidential office, should prepare an emergency response system to promptly handle," Lee told his senior secretaries. The president expressed concern that rising oil prices could lead to higher inflation that would take a toll on people's livelihoods. Earlier on Monday, a vice industry minister flagged concerns over the potential impact on the country's trade from the recent US strikes on Iran. South Korea is Asia's fourth-largest economy and depends heavily on exports. Seoul has deepened its reliance on crude oil imports from the Middle East, which accounted for 72 per cent of the country's total crude imports in 2023. Market participants are bracing for further oil price hikes amid fears that an Iranian retaliation may include the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global crude supply flows. Lee had decided not to attend a NATO summit this week due to what his office described as uncertainties caused by the Middle East situation.
Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
InvestPenang To Engage Intel On Future Direction In The State
BUSINESS GEORGE TOWN, June 23 (Bernama) -- InvestPenang, the state government's investment promotion agency, plans to engage with Intel to gain a clearer understanding of the current status and future direction of the tech giant's investment in the state. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the engagement is aimed at clarifying circulating reports that Intel plans to downsize its operations in Penang. He said Intel's US$7 billion investment in Malaysia, first announced in 2021, includes the development of its advanced 3D chip packaging facility in Penang, the first of such scale outside the United States (US). 'I was invited to visit the facility a few months back to see the progress, and now, after a few months, it has advanced even further and is nearing completion. 'It is in our interest to know about their plans with regard to the facility that they have put up,' he told a press conference on Penang's approved manufacturing investment for the first quarter of 2025, here today. The US$7 billion investment also includes plans to expand Intel's operations in Kulim, Kedah, bringing its total investments in Malaysia to US$14 billion by 2032. Meanwhile, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, said he recently held discussions with Intel regarding the company's plans for reinvestment and expansion of its operations in Malaysia. He said Intel has invested RM50 billion in Malaysia to date and created employment opportunities for 12,300 local workers. 'Intel's presence in Malaysia since 1972 has grown in tandem with the country's rise as a global semiconductor hub.
