‘Bad situation’: Several Indian nationals return from Iran amid unrest, thank govt for support

An advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran asked Indian nationals, including students, businesspeople, pilgrims and tourists, to depart Iran through available means of transport (Image: ANI)

• Indians return from Iran due to worsening security and ongoing protests.
• Indian govt advises citizens to leave Iran, avoid travel due to volatility
• Returnees thanked the government for safe evacuation and support during crisis

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Amid a deteriorating security environment in Iran, several Indian nationals returned late Friday evening, arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

The return comes after the Indian government advised its citizens in Iran to leave due to the volatile security environment, with the Ministry of External Affairs saying it is closely tracking developments and remains committed to their safety.

One returnee described the situation in Iran as “bad” and expressed gratitude to the government for helping nationals leave.

"The conditions are bad there. The Government of India is cooperating a lot, and the Embassy provided us with information on leaving Iran as early as possible...'Modi ji hai toh har cheez mumkin hai'," he said.

Another national told ANI, "We were there for a month. But we were only facing problems for the last one or two weeks...When we went outside, the protesters would come in front of the car. They would cause a little trouble...The internet was shut down, which is why we couldn't tell our families anything, so we were a little worried...We couldn't even contact the embassy."

Another Indian national who returned from Iran said he was a resident of Jammu and Kashmir and described the protests there as dangerous. He praised the Indian government’s efforts in bringing students back.

Meanwhile, several relatives of returnees arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport to receive their family members.

A person, who was waiting for his sister-in-law to return, thanked the Indian government for their coordination.

"My sister-in-law is returning from Iran today. There was a war-like situation in Iran, and the internet was down. We were not able to contact her by any means. We were worried...We are very happy that she is returning to India safely...We thank the Government of India for making arrangements for their return to India during these difficult times," he told ANI.

An advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran asked Indian nationals, including students, businesspeople, pilgrims and tourists, to depart Iran through available means of transport, including commercial flights, citing the "evolving situation".

In parallel, another advisory issued by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi strongly advised Indians to avoid travel to Iran until further notice in view of ongoing developments. It reiterated an earlier advisory issued on January 5, urging Indians in Iran to remain cautious and avoid participating in protests or demonstrations.

The protests erupted at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on December 28 after the Iranian rial hit a record low, before spreading into nationwide demonstrations. The currency’s slide followed a series of crises, including severe water shortages, power outages, rising unemployment and surging inflation.