India advises its citizens against travel to Iran, Israel as Middle East on edge

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday asked its citizens to avoid travelling to Iran and Israel amid escalating tensions between the two countries following a recent strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria. Meanwhile, other several nations, including Russia, the US and France, have issued similar advisories for their citizens.

The Ministry also asked Indians who are currently residing in Iran or Israel to contact the Indian embassies there and register themselves.

The government also put a halt to the deployment of Indian workers in Israel’s construction sector. The decision affects over 6,000 workers who were scheduled to travel to Israel in the coming months. The move follows the departure of an initial group of 64 workers earlier this month.

The Israeli construction industry, following the Israel-Hamas conflict, is reportedly seeking to recruit a large number of Indian workers to fill the gap left by Palestinian labourers. A joint decision by Israeli authorities plans to facilitate the transport of Indian workers through subsidised charter flights.

Iran has blamed Israel for the strike and there have been fears that Tehran may launch an attack on Israel soon.

In an advisory, the MEA also urged the Indians residing in Iran and Israel to exercise utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to a minimum.

“In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indians are advised not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice. They are also requested to observe utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum,” it added.

The MEA advisory came on a day when The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran would likely launch a direct attack on Israel within the next 48 hours.

India has voiced its concern over the recent attack in Damascus and the rising tensions that threaten regional stability. The Indian government continues to advocate for a de-escalation of hostilities and the resumption of peace talks to resolve the Palestine issue through a two-state solution.

Meanwhile, two US officials told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that an attack could come as soon as Friday. The tension between Iran and Israel rose to a critical level when a strike demolished the Iranian consulate in Syria 11 days ago. Iran blames Israel for the strike that killed one of its top military commanders and six officers.

The strike on its consulate evoked a hard response from Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to declare that an attack on Israel was “inevitable.’’

While the US embassy in Israel asked its employees and their families to restrict travel outside Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva, the French foreign ministry advised its citizens against travelling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Moreover, Russia, Germany and Britain urged countries in the Middle East to show restraint and Israel said it was preparing to “meet all its security needs” in a region on edge.

The German airline Lufthansa, one of only two Western carriers flying to Tehran, extended a suspension of its flights to the Iranian capital and Russia warned against travel to the Middle East.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian to urge “maximum restraint” to avoid further escalation.

Russia’s foreign ministry told citizens they should not travel to the Middle East, especially to Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

“Right now it’s very important for everyone to maintain restraint so as not to lead to a complete destabilisation of the situation in the region, which doesn’t exactly shine with stability and predictability,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a news briefing.

British foreign minister David Cameron said on Thursday he had made clear to Amirabdollahian that Iran should not draw the Middle East into a wider conflict.

“I am deeply concerned about the potential for miscalculation leading to further violence,” Cameron said on X.