New Delhi: India is making preparations to evacuate Indians from Iran in view of the precarious situation there, as the US has not ruled out any military action against Tehran over its crackdown on nationwide protests.
Amid looming threats of US strike on Tehran, India on Wednesday asked all its nationals residing in Iran to leave by available means and avoid any travel to the country.
How is India planning to evacuate citizens from Iran?
1. In view of the evolving situation in Iran, the Ministry of External Affairs is making preparations to facilitate the return of Indian nationals who wish to travel back to India, official sources told news agency PTI on Thursday.
2. It is learnt that the government is also exploring the option of bringing back the Indians using civil as well as military transport aircraft.
3. According to estimates, little over 10,000 Indians, including students, are currently living in Iran. The Indian embassy in Tehran on Wednesday urged all Indian nationals including students, pilgrims, business persons and tourists to leave Iran by available means of transport.
4. The mission also urged all Indian citizens and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin) to exercise due caution, avoid areas of protests or demonstrations and stay in contact with the embassy.
5. In case of any emergency, Indian nationals may contact the Embassy of India’s 24x7 helpline at: Telephone: +972-54-7520711; +972-54-3278392; E-mail: cons1.telaviv@mea.gov.in
(MEA issues advisory for Indians in Iran)
When India rescued its citizens in 2025 Middle East crisis
Notably, this is not the first time India has launched this kind of evacuation plan. Earlier in June last year, India successfully evacuated from Iran after tension escalated following military conflict in the Middle East. At that time, India had launched Operation Sindhu, a mission aimed at ensuring the safety and evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran.
What happend in Iran?
The protests began late last month in Tehran after the Iranian currency rial plunged to record lows. The protests have since spread to all 31 provinces, evolving from an agitation against economic woes to a demand for political change. The nationwide protests killed over 2,500 people in Iran so far, according to reports.
Is Trump planning a military action against Iran?
Although US President Donald Trump downplayed his intention to strike after he had been told that killings in Iran’s crackdown on protests were easing and that he believed there was no current plan for large-scale executions, but the situation remains volatile. Although Trump adopted a wait-and-see posture after earlier threatening intervention, Trump, being the US President, has an image of an “unpredictable” man. Paul Salem, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute think-tank, told news agency Reuters that while Trump has appeared to back away from action against Iran, he remained unpredictable.
(With inputs from agencies)