Brussels, March 16 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Monday thanked the Armenian government and people for facilitating the safe evacuation of over 550 Indian nationals from Iran.
"Thank the Government and the people of Armenia for facilitating the safe evacuation of over 550 Indian nationals from Iran so far. Appreciate their support in these challenging times," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.
EAM Jaishankar's statement comes amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which erupted following US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, which killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top military officials. In response, Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting the US and Israel, regional capitals and allied forces in West Asia.
On Sunday, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) said that the first batch of 70 Indian students evacuated from Iran via Armenia had safely landed in Delhi.
Nasir Khuehami, national convenor of the JKSA, said: "The first batch of more than 70 Indian students -- the majority of them from Jammu and Kashmir, along with several pilgrims -- who had been stranded in Iran amid the ongoing war-like situation in the region, safely arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, on a commercial flight this morning as part of the initial phase of the evacuation process.
"The students returned to India via a connecting journey through Armenia and Dubai after undertaking a long and difficult land and air transit arranged in coordination with the concerned authorities."
On March 12, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that India continues to work extensively on extending assistance to Indian nationals in Iran and is also addressing issues pertaining to the safety of shipping and the country's energy security amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Highlighting the assistance being extended to Indian nationals in Iran, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that several citizens have returned home, while support continues for those planning to leave. The ministry urged Indian nationals wishing to leave Iran to adhere to the advisory recently issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran.
“We have around 9,000 Indian nationals in Iran, including students, seafarers, businesspeople, professionals and pilgrims. Following advisories issued earlier, several Indian nationals, especially students, have already returned home. We have recently shifted several Indian nationals, including students and pilgrims who are based in Tehran, to other safer locations and cities in the country,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi.
“We are also assisting Indian nationals who wish to travel to Azerbaijan and Armenia, and from there to take commercial flights to return home. We are assisting them with visas and border crossings. We have had several Indian nationals who have approached us, and we have helped them to cross over into Azerbaijan and Armenia and from there to take commercial flights back home," he added.
Jaiswal urged Indian nationals who want to leave Iran via land borders to adhere to the advisory the Indian Embassy in Tehran had issued on March 9.
"Our mission in Tehran is in constant touch with our community members and is offering all possible assistance to them,” he noted.
--IANS
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