MEA Confirms Evacuation of Indian Students from Tehran, Some Relocated via Armenia

In the midst of the growing hostilities between Iran and Israel, the Congress party on Tuesday urged the Indian government to act immediately and firmly to facilitate the safe return of Indian nationals stranded in Iran.

Pawan Khera, the head of the All India Congress Committee's media and publicity department, condemned the government for what he alleged was a tardy rescue effort to bring Indians, especially Kashmiri students currently in the strife-torn region, back home.

"We have been bringing this matter to the notice of the government over the past three days. There are many of our Kashmiri students there. We have been requesting the government to wake up and understand that posting advisories is not sufficient," Khera informed IANS.
"The government needs to take measures for the safe return of Indians from there," he insisted.

To allay these fears, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) during the day confirmed that a number of Indian citizens, including students in Tehran, had been shifted from Tehran for safety reasons. The MEA further stated that more Indian citizens were helped to depart the country through the Armenia border.

"In view of the emerging situation, Indian students in Tehran have been evacuated out of the city for safety reasons, through arrangements by the Embassy. Other residents who have their own transport arrangements have also been told to evacuate out of the city," the MEA said.
"Meanwhile, some Indians have been facilitated to depart from Iran via the border with Armenia," the Ministry added.

The MEA also added that the Indian Embassy is having regular contact with Indians in Iran and is making every effort to assist them as the situation goes on. A fresh advisory will soon be issued to meet the current security issues.

The demand for immediate evacuation was made as the fighting between Iran and Israel escalated to a critical level on the fifth day of conflict. Iranian missile attacks were unleashed several times, triggering air raid sirens at Haifa, the Golan Heights, and many other places in northern Israel, according to Israeli military sources.

Earlier during the day, the Indian government asked all Indian citizens and People of Indian Origin (PIO) in Iran to exit Tehran and relocate to safer locations due to the worsening security situation.