Evacuation: India shifts students, advises Indians to exit Tehran
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid speculations of a blood-soaked regime change in Iran, Israel has warned Tehran residents to leave the Iranian capital immediately, and around 300,000 of them reportedly left the city to potentially safer areas, India also moved out several of its students and advised all Indians to exit.
As the conflict between Iran and Israel escalated, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said, “Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city for reasons of safety through arrangements made by the Embassy. Other residents who are self-sufficient in terms of transport have also been advised to move out of the city in view of the developing situation.”
Some Indians have been facilitated to leave Iran through the borders with Iran and the embassy remains in touch with the community to extend all feasible assistance. The MEA stated, “The Embassy remains continuously in touch with the community with a view to extending all feasible assistance. Further advisories may be issued given the fluid situation,” the media reported on Tuesday.
The conflict between Israel and Iran entered the fifth day on Tuesday, with both sides trading missile strikes. Civilians in key areas face waves of attacks. At least 224 people have been killed in Iran since the hostilities started while 24 people have been killed in Israel, CNN reported.
In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Iran stated, “All Indian nationals who are in Tehran and not in touch with the Embassy are requested to contact the Embassy of India in Tehran immediately and provide their Location and Contact numbers.
“Kindly contact: +989010144557; +989128109115; +989128109109.”
In another post, the Indian Embassy stated, “All Indian nationals and PIOs who can move out of Tehran using their own resources, are advised to move to a safe location outside the city.”
Earlier, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “A 24×7 Control Room has been established in Ministry of External Affairs in view of the ongoing developments in Iran and Israel.
The contact details of the control room are as under: 1800118797 (Toll free) +91-11-23012113 +91-11-23014104 +91-11-23017905 +91-9968291988 (WhatsApp) situationroom@mea.gov.in.”
“In addition, the Embassy of India in Tehran, Iran, has set up a 24×7 emergency helpline with contact details below for calls only: 1. +98 9128109115, +98 9128109109 For WhatsApp: 2. +98 901044557, +98 9015993320, +91 8086871709. 3. Bandar Abbas: +98 9177699036 4. Zahedan: +98 9396356649 cons.tehran@mea.gov.in,” he added.
Last week, Israel launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, in a military operation, named “Operation Rising Lion,” in response to which Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israeli cities.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement posted on social media platform X, that Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival,” adding that the mission would continue “for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”
In response to Israel’s action, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) also launched a large-scale drone and missile operation targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres.
