India has started preparations to bring back its citizens from Iran after Tehran temporarily shut its airspace to commercial flights on Thursday amid rising tensions in West Asia and uncertainty over possible US action against the Iranian regime.
Officials estimate that around 10,000 Indians are currently in Iran, including students and pilgrims in Qom and Mashhad, as well as those enrolled in medical colleges in Tehran and Isfahan.
According to sources, the Ministry of External Affairs has begun making arrangements to facilitate the return of Indian nationals who wish to return, given the rapidly evolving situation, Indian Express reported.
This comes a day after the Indian embassy in Tehran advised Indians to leave the country and stay away from protest sites.
Sources said the embassy has been in constant contact with Indian students and Iranian university authorities. Many students are already registered with the mission, which has collected their passports and personal details. The first group of students has been asked to be ready by 8 am on Friday for evacuation, with Indian authorities coordinating the process closely with the embassy. More flights are expected in the coming days to bring back all students.
The emergency contact helplines of the Indian embassy are: +989128109115, +989128109109, +989128109102, +989932179359. The email ID is: cons.tehran@mea.gov.in.
Meanwhile, Indian carriers IndiGo and Air India have decided to avoid Iranian airspace for now, a move that is affecting flight operations to destinations in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Europe and North America.