India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that 2,361 individuals, including Indian students, fishermen, and three foreigners, have been safely brought back home since the start of the West Asia conflict. The repatriation involved 2,060 people via Armenia and 301 via Azerbaijan. Among them were 1,041 Indian students and citizens from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Guyana. MEA’s efforts coincided with a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States that began on April 8.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar disclosed that an additional 312 Indian fishermen were successfully evacuated from Iran to India through Armenia. He expressed gratitude to the Armenian government for their assistance in the evacuation process. The Indian Embassy in Iran had previously advised Indian nationals to promptly leave the country in coordination with the Embassy’s guidance and cautioned against attempting to cross international borders without prior consultation.
Following joint attacks by Israel and the United States on Tehran and other Iranian cities on February 28, tensions escalated, leading to retaliatory strikes by Iran. The conflict resulted in the loss of Iran’s Supreme Leader and other key figures, prompting India to facilitate the safe return of its citizens from the region.
