KUALA LUMPUR - Indonesia has expressed readiness to evacuate its citizens from conflict affected areas in the Middle East, starting with 15 Indonesians in Tehran who have asked to leave Iran as tensions in the region rise.

Foreign Minister, Sugiono said the evacuation for the 15 Indonesians in Tehran is being arranged through Baku, Azerbaijan, because the airspace in the area is currently closed.

“It is being arranged when the evacuation will be carried out, as the airspace is currently closed. If the evacuation is from Tehran, they must first be taken to Baku, which is a 10-hour journey,” he said last Wednesday.

Sugiono said the Foreign Ministry is working closely with the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran, while Indonesia’s Ambassador to Iran, Rolliansyah Soemirat, has been instructed to take the necessary actions.

“Amid the escalating situation, earlier this afternoon, I also instructed our Ambassador in Tehran to take immediate evacuation steps if there are Indonesian citizens who wish to be evacuated,” he said.

Sugiono also said the government is ready to evacuate any Indonesian citizen in the region who requests to leave.

However, he said Indonesians living in Gulf Cooperation Council countries such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have not asked for evacuation so far.

“Those who ask for evacuation, we evacuate. It is not possible to move people who do not want to be moved.

“The GCC alone has 27,000 people, if they ask to be evacuated, we will evacuate them. 

“In Qatar, in the UAE, in Bahrain, no one has requested evacuation yet. These 15 (Indonesians) have already expressed their willingness,” he said.