New Delhi: Amid a deteriorating security situation in Iran, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday confirmed that Indian students in Tehran have been relocated to safer areas through arrangements facilitated by the Embassy. In a statement on Tuesday, the MEA said that while the Embassy remains in constant touch with the Indian community in Iran, further advisories may be issued given the fluid and fast-changing scenario.
Indian nationals with independent means of transport have also been advised to vacate Tehran as a precaution. Separately, some citizens have already crossed into Armenia with assistance from the authorities.
This precautionary move comes against the backdrop of mounting instability in the region as the long-standing Iran–Israel conflict reaches unprecedented levels of intensity. What was once a proxy-driven and covert confrontation has entered a new and volatile phase since April 2024, marked by direct military exchanges and growing fears of a wider regional war.
The turning point came in mid-April 2024 when Iran, for the first time, launched a barrage of over 300 drones and missiles targeting Israel. This rare and direct offensive was in retaliation for an alleged Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus, which had killed several senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders. Israel responded swiftly with airstrikes on strategic Iranian sites near Isfahan, including facilities close to its nuclear infrastructure. Though immediate all-out war was averted due to diplomatic interventions by the United States and other global powers, the consequences of the April confrontation continue to reverberate across the region.
The conflict’s roots lie in decades of ideological hostility, geopolitical rivalry, and nuclear mistrust. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has maintained an uncompromising stance against Israel’s existence and supports militant groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad. At the same time, Israel, alarmed by Iran’s regional reach and its advancing nuclear programme, has increasingly carried out pre-emptive strikes on Iranian targets in Syria and other fronts.
Following the devastating Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023—which Israeli and Western intelligence agencies believe had Iranian backing—Israel intensified its operations in Gaza, further inflaming regional tensions. These flashpoints, coupled with Iran’s continued uranium enrichment, which is now believed to have reached weapons-grade levels, have brought the region to the brink.
In recent weeks, hostilities have resumed on multiple fronts. The Israel–Hezbollah border remains a hotspot, while Iranian military infrastructure in Syria is repeatedly targeted. A parallel war is also being fought in cyberspace, with sabotage operations disrupting critical infrastructure and defense systems on both sides. Diplomatic efforts continue, with the US, European Union, and Gulf nations calling for de-escalation, and China offering itself as a potential mediator in keeping with its expanding geopolitical ambitions in the Middle East. Meanwhile, regional realignments are shifting rapidly. The nascent rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia has stalled under the weight of public anger over the Gaza conflict. Iran, facing mounting Western isolation, has deepened strategic cooperation with Russia and China.
As of June 2025, the possibility of a full-scale war remains a looming concern. With both Iran and Israel on high alert, and their proxy networks actively engaged, the potential for miscalculation remains dangerously high. For India, the evolving situation has prompted a policy of vigilant diplomacy and proactive evacuation, as it works to safeguard its citizens amid one of the Middle East’s most perilous standoffs in recent memory.