Attacks by the United States and Israel on the Islamic Republic and Iran's retaliatory strikes in the region have stranded tens of thousands of foreigners, with flights cancelled and airspace shuttered. They include 329 Indonesians in Iran, most of them students in the city of Qom. "The evacuation of Indonesian citizens in Iran will begin gradually today, and this first phase will be carried out via Azerbaijan," Heni Hamidah -- the official charged with the welfare of citizens abroad -- told reporters in Jakarta.

A first batch of 32 Indonesians was expected to arrive in Jakarta on Monday or Tuesday, she said. Hamidah would not confirm reports that the evacuation would take place overland. "Evacuation routes will be determined based on the conditions on the ground," she said. The government was not for the moment considering evacuations from other Middle Eastern countries, where some half a million Indonesians live, according to the ministry. President Prabowo Subianto has volunteered to act as a mediator in the conflict. But Iran's ambassador to Indonesia, Mohammad Boroujerdi, last week told reporters that Tehran would not negotiate "with a country that launched hostility against us". (Bssnews)