JAKARTA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of 11 Indonesian citizens evacuated from Iran have returned to Indonesia amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.
The 11 Indonesians arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Banten Province on Tuesday at around 5:35 p.m. local time.
The ministry explained that this first group arrived on a commercial flight via Istanbul, Turkiye, after previously being evacuated to Azerbaijani capital Baku from Iran, along with 86 other people last Saturday.
According to Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, the 97 individuals evacuated from Iran include 93 Indonesian citizens, three embassy staff, and one Iranian national who is the spouse of an Indonesian citizen.
The evacuees had traveled by land from Iranian capital Tehran to Baku for approximately 16 hours and are expected to fly to Jakarta in stages on commercial flights, with several available routes, including via Istanbul, Qatari capital Doha, or Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The return of 18 evacuees, who were scheduled to arrive also on Tuesday afternoon via Doha, was delayed due to airspace closures in the area.
"Their flight was diverted to Jeddah, and currently, some are en route from Doha to Jakarta. The Indonesian Embassy in Doha and the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah have provided assistance and support for the 18 evacuees. The remaining 68 people are currently still in Baku. The government is arranging their immediate return," the foreign affairs ministry said. ■
