Indian students moved out of Tehran for safety reasons; over 100 cross border to Armenia

The MEA, in a statement said, the Indian Embassy remains continuously in touch with the community with a view to extending all feasible assistance.

New Delhi: Over 100 Indian citizens, mostly students, reached Yerevan after leaving Tehran and crossing the Iran-Armenia border as the conflict between Israel and the West Asian Islamic Republic continued to escalate.

India has also advised its citizens living in Israel that if they want to leave the Jewish country, they could do so using the land borders through Jordan and Egypt.

New Delhi’s diplomatic mission in Tehran facilitated the travel of the 100 Indians, mostly students from Jammu and Kashmir, from the capital of Iran to the country’s border with Armenia and onward travel to Yerevan. They will fly back to India from the capital of Armenia on Wednesday, sources in New Delhi said on Tuesday.

The Embassy of India in Tehran is continuously monitoring the security situation and engaging Indian students in Iran to ensure their safety, the Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi. “In some cases, students are being relocated with the embassy’s facilitation to safer places within Iran. Other feasible options are also under examination.”

New Delhi’s mission in Tehran is in touch with community leaders and has advised all Indian nationals and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), who can move out of the capital of the Persian Gulf nation using their own resources, to move to a safe location outside the city.

Israel has been targeting the capital city of Iran in repeated strikes and has vowed to continue.

“All Indian nationals, who are in Tehran and not in touch with the embassy, are requested to contact the Embassy of India in Tehran immediately and provide their location and contact numbers,” the Embassy of India in Tehran posted on X.

Nearly 10,000 citizens of India are currently living in Iran. Israel has around 26,000 Indians.

Israel’s ambassador in New Delhi, Reuven Azar, said that the Jewish nation’s government would coordinate with the Government of India if the citizens of India wanted to leave Israel.

The Embassy of India in Tel Aviv stated that all Indian nationals living in Israel should remain vigilant and strictly adhere to the safety advisories and protocols issued by the Israeli Home Front Command, in addition to registering with the mission.