New Delhi: India on Friday reiterated that it shares a long-standing partnership with Iran and said it is closely tracking fast-evolving developments amid rising regional tensions.
Speaking at the weekly media briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India was monitoring the situation and would calibrate its engagement accordingly. “We have a long-standing partnership with Iran. We are closely following developments. We are looking at the evolving situation, and we will accordingly take our partnership forward,” he said.
With the security environment described as volatile, the government has also asked Indian nationals in Iran to leave the country, stating that their safety remains a priority.
Jaiswal said around 9,000 Indian citizens are currently in Iran, with most of them students. “In light of the recent developments there, we have issued two or three advisories,” he said, adding that the advisories also advise Indians in India not to travel to Iran at this time.
“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,” he said.
The MEA said it is keeping “a close watch” and remains “committed to doing whatever is necessary for their well-being.”
An advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran asked Indian nationals including students, businesspeople, pilgrims and tourists to depart Iran using available transport options, including commercial flights, citing the “evolving situation”.
Separately, the MEA in New Delhi advised Indians to avoid travel to Iran until further notice, reiterating an earlier advisory issued on January 5, which urged those in Iran to remain cautious and not take part in protests or demonstrations.