St. Petersburg, June 21 -- Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono has said that 97 out of 386 Indonesian nationals in Iran are ready to join the first round of evacuations amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv.

"I was informed this morning that four buses (carrying evacuees) were en route to border regions. They may have arrived by now," he told the media after seeing off President Prabowo Subianto at Pulkovo International Airport in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Friday.

He informed that the 97 individuals had expressed their willingness to participate in the official evacuation. "Meanwhile, the total number of registered Indonesians in Iran stands at 386," he added.

The minister said that the evacuation would be carried out in...