Several Indians, including students, have returned from Iran on commercial flights amid continuing protests in the country and a harsh crackdown by authorities that has reportedly killed more than 2,500 people.
The flights landed at Delhi airport late on Friday night. Officials said it was not immediately clear how many Indians arrived on these commercial services.
Among those who returned was Ali Naqui, part of a group of 12 to 13 travellers. Asked if they faced any problems in Iran, he said, “We didn't face any problem.”
“We have returned from Tehran. Earlier, we were in Iraq, then we travelled to Iran. After an eight-day stay there, we have returned to India,” he told PTI.
A young woman studying at a medical college in Shiraz said limited connectivity made it difficult to assess the situation in the country. “The Internet was not working. So, we didn't exactly know what was happening around the country.”
She added that the situation in the city she was staying in was “fine”.
She also clarified that the return was not facilitated by the Indian government. “We have come back on our own in a commercial flight, and not on the arrangement of the Indian government.”
Late into the night, anxious families gathered at the airport to receive relatives arriving from Iran.
Many said they had been worried during the internet shutdown but were reassured by messages from the Indian Embassy in Tehran, shared through whatever communication channels were available.
Abbas Qazmi, whose mother and aunt returned from Iran, said, “There was definitely some anxiety because it was a global issue, and when the Internet was shut, we were quite worried.”
“But as soon as communication resumed, we realised that things were under control. That gave us assurance that everything was fine. We had registered with the embassy as soon as the advisory was issued and were waiting for further instructions. My mother's flight was already scheduled, so things went smoothly, and we are happy,” he said.
The Ministry of External Affairs has said around 9,000 Indian nationals are currently living in Iran, the majority of them students.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, speaking at a weekly media briefing on Friday, said, “At present, there are approximately 9,000 of our nationals living in Iran. Most of them are our students”.
He added that the Indian community also includes sailors, pilgrims and people associated with business. In response to the situation, the government has issued multiple advisories.
“In these advisories, we have stated that our citizens should not travel to Iran at this time. And the Indian nationals who are currently residing there have been advised that, through whatever means available to leave the country at present, commercial flights are still operating, and that option is also available; they should make use of those and leave,” Jaiswal said.
He said New Delhi is closely monitoring developments. “As far as the safety and interests of our people are concerned, whatever needs to be done in their interest, if the need arises, we are fully committed to doing that,” he added.
Iran has seen weeks of protests triggered by inflation and a sharp fall in the value of its currency. The agitation began in Tehran late last month after the rial hit record lows and has since spread to all 31 provinces.