Closely monitoring situation, asks Indians to leave Iran by whatever means available: MEA

Providing details, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "Approximately 9,000 of our citizens are currently residing in Iran. The majority of them are students. In light of the recent developments there, we have issued two or three advisories."

He made the remarks during the weekly press briefing here in the national capital.

Elaborating on the advisories, Jaiswal said, "In these advisories, we have advised our citizens in India not to travel to Iran at this time, and we have advised Indian citizens residing in Iran to leave the country by whatever means are available."

"We are keeping a close watch on the situation there, and as far as our citizens are concerned, we are committed to doing whatever is necessary for their well-being," he added, amid rising regional tensions linked to Tehran's crackdown on nationwide protests that have reportedly killed hundreds, and concerns over possible US intervention.

An advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran asked Indian nationals, including students, businesspeople, pilgrims and tourists, to depart Iran through available means of transport, including commercial flights, citing the "evolving situation".

Alongside this, another advisory issued by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi strongly advised Indians to avoid travel to Iran until further notice in view of ongoing developments. It reiterated an earlier advisory issued on January 5, urging Indians in Iran to remain cautious and avoid participating in protests or demonstrations.

The advisories were issued against the backdrop of repeated warnings by US President Donald Trump, who has threatened military intervention if Iranian security forces kill protesters. Trump has also encouraged the protesters, saying "help is on the way" and warned of "very strong action" if detained protesters are executed by Iranian authorities.

India has also faced renewed attention over its long-standing ties with Iran following Trump's announcement of a 25 per cent tariff on countries doing business with Tehran. The Indian side has said the threat is expected to have a "minimal impact," noting that India-Iran trade, at about USD 1.68 billion, accounts for 0.15 per cent of New Delhi's total trade.

In its advisory, Indian nationals were also asked to keep travel and immigration documents, including passports, readily available. Indians living in Iran on resident visas were advised to register with the Embassy.

The protests began at Tehran's Grand Bazaar on December 28 over the Iranian rial's record fall in value and later spread into nationwide demonstrations. The decline in the currency followed multiple crises, including unprecedented water shortages, power outages, rising unemployment and surging inflation. (ANI)