Exercise due caution, avoid travel to Iran: India issues advisory amid protests
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India on Monday advised its people to avoid non-essential travel to Iran until further notice amid unrest triggered by the sharp depreciation of the Iranian currency rial.
In an advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs asked Indian citizens and Persons of Indian Origin currently in Iran to exercise due caution, avoid areas witnessing protests or demonstrations, and closely monitor news updates along with advisories issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran through its website and social media platforms.
The ministry also advised Indian nationals living in Iran on resident visas to register with the Indian Embassy if they have not already done so.
Iran has been witnessing major protests across several cities following the steep fall in the value of the rial. Clashes between security forces and protesters in different provinces have reportedly resulted in several deaths.
Earlier on Monday, United States President Donald Trump warned Iran against using violence to suppress the protests, saying Washington was closely monitoring the situation. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from Mar-a-Lago, Trump said the US would respond forcefully if Iranian authorities began killing civilians.
“If they start killing people as they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States,” Trump said, adding that the situation was being watched “very closely.”
Trump did not specify the nature of any potential US response or outline immediate military or economic measures, though the US has significant military assets deployed in the region. He reiterated that Washington was tracking developments inside Iran and considering its options.
The advisory from India comes amid growing international attention on the situation in Iran and concerns over the safety of foreign nationals amid the ongoing protests.