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Indonesia looks on with concern amid escalating Mideast conflict
Indonesia expressed “deep concern” for the escalation of violence in the Middle East and called on “all parties” to exercise restraint. It did not join the chorus of Israeli allies condemning the attack.
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Explosions light up the sky in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during an Iranian attack on Israel on April 14, 2024. Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed that day that a drone and missile attack was underway against Israel in retaliation for a deadly April 1 drone strike on its Damascus consulate. (AFP/AFPTV)
T
he government has met the news of Iran’s retaliatory strike on Israel with deep concern over the escalation of the conflict, warning Indonesians in the region to raise their guard amid tensions between the rival nations.
Indonesia, a fervent supporter of Palestinian statehood and a home to one of the world’s largest Muslim populations, has been relatively insulated from decades of unrest in the Middle East. However, Israel’s war in Gaza has stoked fears of wider conflict in a region that is a popular destination for the country’s migrant workers and students.
Iran launched over 200 drones and missiles in a military strike on Israel late on Saturday, AFP reported, in retaliation to Tel Aviv’s attack on an Iranian consulate building in Damascus on April 1 that killed 16 people, including five Iranian Revolutionary Guards and two generals.
The strike was the first direct attack Iran has launched on Israel in their decades of contestation. It comes after repeated warnings from the United States and continuous threats of retaliation from Tehran following the April attack.
Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday expressing its “deep concern” over the escalation of the security situation in the Middle East and called on “all parties” to exercise restraint. It did not join the chorus of Israel’s Western allies strongly condemning the attack.
An earlier plea on Saturday by the ministry saw it call upon citizens situated in Iran, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to exercise more vigilance.
Separately, Indonesia’s Ambassador to Iran, Ronny Yuliantoro, warned his compatriots in the country to take increased safety and security precautions. They were to avoid big crowds and dangerous areas and limit their travel plans for the time being.
