Students, fishermen among 2,361 Indians repatriated from Iran: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs said India evacuated 2,361 citizens from Iran amid West Asia conflict, including students and fishermen, using routes via Armenia and Azerbaijan, while coordinating with embassies and international partners during ongoing regional tensions

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday that India has safely brought back home 2,361 people since the beginning of the conflict in West Asia.

Addressing a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that these 2,361 people include Indian students, fishermen and also three foreigners.

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“Since the outbreak of the conflict, we have helped bring 2,361 Indian citizens safely from Iran to India. Of these, 2,060 came via Armenia and 301 via Azerbaijan. This 2,361 includes 1,041 Indian students, as well as three foreigners – one from Bangladesh, one from Sri Lanka, and one from Guyana. We have also helped three of them. I had told before that nearly 7,500 Indian nationals were present in Iran at that time,” he said.

MEA’s statement comes amid a two-week ceasefire reached between Iran and the United States which took effect on April 8.

On April 11, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar announced that another 312 Indian fishermen were safely evacuated from Iran to India through Armenia. He further thanked the government of Armenia for making it possible.

“Another 312 Indian fishermen safely evacuated from Iran to India through Armenia. Thank the Government of Armenia and my friend Ararat Mirzoyan for making it possible. Armenia has been facilitating the evacuation of Indian nationals in Iran,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

On April 8, the Indian Embassy in Iran advised Indian nationals still in Iran to expeditiously leave the country in coordination with the Embassy and by using the routes suggested by the Embassy. It warned Indian nationals in Iran against making attempt to approach any international land border without prior consultation and coordination with the Embassy. The Embassy also released emergency numbers of Indian nationals in Iran.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targetting Israel and US interests in the Middle East, and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz.