The Nepal government has confirmed the detention of a Nepali national, Amrit Jha, who was working on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, by Iranian authorities. The situation arose amidst heightened tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran in the region. With the Strait of Hormuz closed by Iran, a vital route for global oil trade, concerns for the safety of Nepali migrant workers in West Asia have escalated.
Ramkaji Khadka, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, disclosed that Jha was detained when Iranian forces seized the ship and its crew. The confirmation came after Jha’s family raised the alarm to Nepali authorities. Since the conflict began on February 28, one Nepali national has been reported killed, and 30 others have suffered minor injuries in various West Asian countries.
The Nepali government also mourned the loss of Diwas Shrestha, a youth from Gorkha district, who was killed during a drone interception operation at Zayed International Airport in the UAE. As tensions persist in West Asia, over 6,000 Nepalis have applied to return home due to safety apprehensions. Official data shows that more than 1.7 million Nepalis are spread across 12 countries in the region, with a significant number seeking repatriation.
Amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, where a resolution seems distant, the Ministry revealed that out of 82,100 Nepalis updating their details in an online rescue tracking system, around 6,000 have requested assistance to return home. The Department of Consular Services initiated the online registration to gather updated information and evaluate the needs of Nepali nationals in the region during the US–Iran tensions.
