Foreign Ministry Evacuates Another 45 Indonesians from Iran, Arriving in Stages on 14-16 April

The majority of these Indonesian citizens are known to be students or university students in the city of Qom, while others are migrant workers and expatriates in Iran. Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) has once again carried out a phased evacuation of 45 Indonesian citizens (WNI) from Iran who have been affected by the escalation of conflict in the Middle East region this week. “The evacuated Indonesian citizens are scheduled to arrive in stages through three batches on 14-16 April 2026,” said Kemlu in a written statement in Jakarta on Wednesday. Kemlu ensured that the first batch of returns arrived safely at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng on Tuesday (14/4) at 18:00, after travelling by air from Baku, Azerbaijan. Upon arrival in Jakarta, the newly arrived Indonesian citizens were handed over to the Jakarta Social Service Office as well as the Coordinating Agency of West Java, Central Java, and Lampung provinces for further repatriation processes to their respective home areas. Meanwhile, the second batch is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Wednesday, and the third repatriation batch will arrive on Thursday (16/4), said Kemlu. The implementation of this evacuation is a response from Kemlu and Indonesia’s overseas representatives, particularly the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran and the Indonesian Embassy in Baku, to ensure the safety and protection of Indonesian citizens in conflict-affected areas. Furthermore, based on records from the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran as of 7 April 2026, the number of Indonesian citizens still in Iran, following previous stages of evacuation, reaches 281 people. The majority of these Indonesian citizens are known to be students or university students in the city of Qom, while others are migrant workers and expatriates in Iran, said Kemlu. “Kemlu through the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran continues to conduct intensive communication to ensure the condition and whereabouts of the Indonesian citizens, as well as assess the form of assistance currently provided,” stated Kemlu. Acting Director of WNI Protection at Kemlu, Heni Hamidah, in a media briefing in Jakarta on Wednesday (8/4), conveyed that more than 700 Indonesian citizens still stranded in the Middle East due to flight disruptions can soon return to the homeland. She said that these Indonesian citizens are already being handled to wait for return flights to the homeland in stages. Until last week, Indonesia’s representatives in the Middle East had facilitated the independent repatriation process for as many as 2,284 Indonesian citizens. This number does not include Indonesian umrah pilgrims who are similarly trapped and unable to return, said Heni.