720 Indonesians Stranded from Returning Home Due to Middle East Flight Disruptions Caused by War

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Acting Director of Indonesian Citizen Protection (PWNI) at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Heni Hamidah, stated that there are still 720 Indonesian citizens (WNI) who are delayed in returning to the homeland due to the war in the Middle East.

“At present, there are 720 WNI who are stranded because of flight disruptions in various areas in the Middle East,” said Heni during a press conference held at the Foreign Ministry office in Central Jakarta on Wednesday (7/4/2026).

“They are already being handled while waiting for flights back to the homeland,” she added.

Regarding developments and the condition of WNI in Iran, Heni said that the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran is conducting regular contact with WNI in Iran, both residents and non-residents.

“Currently, there are still around 281 WNI recorded in Iranian territory, 35 of whom are crew members on ships off the coast of Iran,” she said.

Heni assured that the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran is finalising plans for the next stage of evacuation by contacting WNI who have expressed readiness to be evacuated.

“Of course, this evacuation plan is continuously adjusted to the latest conditions and the situation on the ground,” she said.

According to Heni, this evacuation requires caution so that the movement of WNI’s return is also carried out through safe routes.

“Both when heading to the gathering point and the movement to the evacuation destination point in another country,” she said.