Foreign Ministry states 720 Indonesians stranded in Middle East have been handled and will return home soon

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) has assured that more than 700 Indonesian citizens (WNI) still detained in the Middle East due to flight disruptions will soon return to the homeland. “Currently, there are 720 WNI detained due to flight disruptions in various areas in the Middle East, and they are already being handled while waiting for flights back to the homeland,” said Acting Director of WNI Protection at Kemlu RI, Heni Hamidah, during a media briefing in Jakarta on Wednesday. So far, she said, Indonesia’s representatives in the Middle East have facilitated the independent repatriation process for 2,284 WNI. This number does not include WNI umrah pilgrims who are in the same predicament and unable to return. She stated that currently, Kemlu RI along with all Indonesian representatives in the Middle East continue to closely monitor developments in the Gulf region, particularly Iran, throughout the war between the United States and Iran until the ceasefire was reached today. Meanwhile, to date, there are still 281 WNI in Iran, with 35 of them being crew members located on Iran’s coast, Heni said. Heni assured that the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran will hold a new wave of evacuation for WNI in Iran who wish to return to the homeland. The evacuation will be carried out with careful planning, taking into account the current situation on the ground, given that the movements and routes that the WNI will pass through must be ensured to be safe, both when heading to the gathering point and to the departure point in another country. “The Embassy continues to refine the plans for the next stage of evacuation by contacting WNI who have stated they are ready to be evacuated,” said Heni, although she did not specify the exact number of WNI who will soon be evacuated from Iran. US President Donald Trump previously announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran and stated that the Strait of Hormuz will soon be opened. Following the announcement, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) confirmed that talks with the US will begin on Friday (10/4) in Islamabad, Pakistan.