Indonesia still on alert despite Iran-Israel ceasefire

JAKARTA - Fears of an escalation in the conflict between Iran and Israel persist despite claims of a ceasefire between the two countries, with the Indonesian government expediting contingency planning as it finishes its first round of the evacuation of Indonesian nationals from the affected region.

Hours before Iran and Israel agreed a ceasefire, Iran fired missiles at the Al Udeid air force base in Doha, Qatar on June 23 as a retaliation against the US’ bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities. The attack did not result in any casualties, as Iran had warned Qatar prior to the attack, as reported by Reuters.

Despite no casualties from Iran’s attack, airspace in the region was closed for a few hours on June 24, including that over Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, with a slew of airlines canceling their flights to the region, AFP reported.

Among the flights affected was one by Qatar Airways booked for at least 29 Indonesian nationals, the first batch of evacuees from Iran who fled the country through a 16-hour land trip to neighbouring Azerbaijan.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry told reporters on June 24 that the evacuees would instead return to Jakarta on a Turkish Airlines flight, arriving more than two hours later than the initial schedule at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

The ministry went on to say that it continued to “monitor from a close range the escalation in the conflict between Israel, the US and Iran”.

“The ministry appeals to its citizens currently in the Middle East to increase their vigilance (and) avoid locations hosting assets of conflicting nations,” said the Indonesian ministry’s citizen protection director Judha Nugraha in a statement.

Prepare for the worst

The renewed appeal for heightened alertness came despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he had successfully negotiated a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

But less than 12 hours after the announcement, both countries threw accusations at each other that they had violated the deal and continued attacking each other beyond the agreed time the ceasefire was meant to start.

All Indonesian representatives and embassies in Middle Eastern countries continue to be on high alert and on standby despite the ceasefire announcement in anticipation of any possible further escalation in the region, said Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry director for Middle Eastern affairs Ahrul Tsani.

“Our representatives continue to monitor and remain responsive to any developments occurring, especially those in countries with US military bases,” Mr Ahrul told The Jakarta Post on June 24, listing countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq.

Several Indonesian embassies in the listed high-alert countries have also begun circulating alert notices to citizens outlining responses to possible escalations, including calls to start packing important documents such as passports and employment contracts.

Close call

As officials call for calm amid the rising tensions, the Indonesian diaspora in the Middle East has been unnerved by the recent attacks.

Mr Achmad, 42, was working in a restaurant in Doha when he suddenly felt the reverberation from an explosion at the Al Udeid base, located only about 30 minutes’ drive from the Qatari capital.

Panicking restaurant guests fled the restaurant after the explosion was felt.

Qatari officials tried to calm down people by telling them not to panic or escalate things, said Mr Achmad. “But I’m honestly worried. I saw with my own two eyes a missile being intercepted. I can’t even describe the sound it created,” Mr Achmad told the Post on June 24.

“I’m just letting things be for now. I’m still breathing and standing. I just hope that there won’t be any second wave of attacks. I won’t know what to do in that case,” he said, explaining that he would lose his job in Doha if he were to be evacuated back to Indonesia.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry previously said that all evacuations of Indonesians from Iran and Israel would be voluntary rather than mandatory.

The government has not issued any official diplomatic statement on the Iran-Israel conflict following Washington’s decision to intervene on June 22, although its ministry has called for all parties to return to the negotiating table.

On June 22, Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto held a meeting with several ministers, including Jndonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono, in his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor regency, West Java.

The discussions revolved primarily around “the dynamics of current global conditions and its effects on Indonesia’s national interests”, the State Secretariat wrote in a statement. The officials also discussed preparations for “strategic steps” to protect national interests during the closed-door talks. THE JAKARTA POST/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK