Indian nationals coming home from Iran via Armenia, Azerbaijan; about 280 pilgrims returned: MEA

New Delhi: Nearly 880 Indian nationals, including students who had been stranded in Iran due to the conflict in West Asia, have started to return to India through Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

At the weekly media briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said, of the 284 pilgrims who had gone to Iran, about 280 have returned via Armenia, and three-four of them are expected to arrive in a couple of days.

"Some people do not register with the Indian Embassy. So, our estimate was that about 9,000 people were there (in Iran). Many of the students had returned before the strikes began. And recently, nearly 882 Indian nationals, including students, people from the business community, and pilgrims, had gone from India," he said.

Jaiswal was asked for an update on Indian nationals in Iran who wish to return to the country.

"These 882 Indian nationals, via Armenia and Azerbaijan, are expected to return, some have returned. A total of 772 are returning via Armenia, and through Azerbaijan, 110, out of whom, some have returned, while others are coming back," he said.

He also said that the MEA's Control Room set up on March 4 here remains fully functional, supporting the needs of the Indian nationals.

Jaiswal said the number of calls or emails has reduced significantly. The issues of people getting stranded have been largely addressed, and calls and emails have gone down significantly, and helplines in the Indian embassies in various countries in the region are working 24x7, he added.

The MEA spokesperson further said, "We have a large number of students, including girl students from Kashmir who are getting medical education in Iran. We had issued an advisory, we had told everybody to get in touch with the Embassy before crossing the Azerbaijan border, so they could help them in crossing the Iran-Azerbaijan border."

As the conflict in West Asia widened with global ramifications, India on Thursday said the situation has been a "testing time", not just for the country, but the entire global community.

The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israel combine launched military strikes on Iran. In retaliation, Tehran has targeted Gulf countries hosting US military bases.

The West Asia conflict has stretched into three weeks, with an Israeli attack on Iran's strategic gas fields of South Pars resulting in an intense Iranian retaliation on key energy infrastructure in several Gulf nations, including Qatar's LNG (liquefied natural gas) hub of Ras Laffan, triggering global concerns.

Qatar accounts for nearly 40 per cent of India's LNG requirement.

"Yes, it has been a testing time, not just for us, but the entire global community. Our leaders have been in touch with their counterparts, as I just spoke about the conversation between our prime minister and the Crown Prince of Kuwait. Similarly, we have been in touch with several other leaders," Jaiswal said at an inter-ministerial briefing here on the West Asia situation, earlier in the day.

Additional Secretary (Gulf), MEA, Aseem R Mahajan, told reporters at the inter-ministerial briefing that the MEA continues to "closely monitor" the developments in the Gulf and the wider West Asia region, with the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community remaining the highest priority.

Since February 28, around 2.8 lakh passengers have returned from the region to India, he said.