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India Evacuates 2,361 Nationals from Iran Amid Regional Conflict via Armenia, Azerbaijan

The Ministry of External Affairs has successfully repatriated 2,361 Indian citizens from Iran since the outbreak of conflict in West Asia. The evacuees, including 1,041 students and fishermen, were primarily moved via Armenia and Azerbaijan. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed the safe movement of an additional 312 fishermen and thanked Armenia for its crucial facilitation. The evacuation follows heightened regional tensions, including military strikes and retaliatory actions between Iran, Israel, and the US.

Key Points: India Repatriates 2,361 Citizens from Iran via Armenia, Azerbaijan

  • 2,361 Indians repatriated
  • 1,041 were students
  • Evacuation via Armenia & Azerbaijan
  • Effort coincides with Iran-US ceasefire
2 min read

2,361 Indians including students and fishermen repatriated from Iran via Armenia, Azerbaijan: MEA

MEA confirms safe return of Indian students & fishermen from Iran. EAM Jaishankar thanks Armenia for facilitating evacuation amid West Asia conflict.

"Since the outbreak of the conflict, we have helped bring 2,361 Indian citizens safely from Iran to India. - Randhir Jaiswal"

New Delhi, April 17

The Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday that 2,361 individuals have been successfully repatriated to India since the commencement of the conflict in West Asia.

During a weekly media briefing in the capital, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal detailed that the returnees comprise Indian students and fishermen, along with three foreign nationals.

"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 you before that nearly 7,500 Indian nationals were present in Iran at that time," Jaiswal stated.

This large-scale evacuation effort coincides with a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States, which was implemented on April 8.

Bolstering these figures, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed on April 11 that an additional group of 312 Indian fishermen had been safely moved from Iran to India via Armenia.

Expressing his gratitude on social media platform X, the EAM thanked the Armenian government and his counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, for their pivotal role, noting that Armenia has been "facilitating the evacuation of Indian nationals in Iran."

Before these movements, the Indian Embassy in Tehran had issued an advisory on April 8, urging remaining citizens to depart the country promptly in coordination with diplomatic staff.

The Embassy specifically cautioned against attempting to cross international land borders without prior consultation and provided emergency contact details for those in need of assistance.

The regional crisis escalated significantly on February 28, following joint military strikes by Israel and the United States on Tehran and other Iranian urban centres.

The operation resulted in the death of Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, alongside high-ranking military officials.

In retaliation, Tehran executed extensive missile and drone strikes against Israeli and American interests across the Middle East, while simultaneously tightening its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Great news that our students and fishermen are safe. But a serious question: why were nearly 7,500 Indians, including so many students, still in Iran when the situation was clearly deteriorating? We need better early warning systems for our citizens abroad.
A
Aman W
Shoutout to the Indian diplomats working on the ground. Must be incredibly stressful. Also heartening to see we helped citizens from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Guyana. That's our tradition - Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
S
Sarah B
The strategic coordination with Armenia is interesting. Shows how important bilateral relationships are during a crisis. Hope the remaining Indians heeded the advisory and left.
K
Karthik V
Those fishermen must have been through a lot. The Strait of Hormuz is a major chokepoint, and with Iran tightening control, their boats were probably stuck. Glad they're home safe. Our fishermen face enough challenges in our own waters.
N
Nikhil C
Operation was successful thanks to the ceasefire window. Timing is everything in diplomacy. EAM Jaishankar and team deserve credit for managing this complex evacuation via two different countries.

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