170 Indian Nationals Cross into Armenia From Iran; Around 130,000 Returned Since Feb 28: MEA Amid West Asia Conflict

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday confirmed that a total of 170 Indian nationals have crossed from Iran into Armenia through the land border amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

During the Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said several of the Indian nationals have already returned to India, while others are expected to return in the coming days using commercial flights from Armenia.

"I would like to add that from Iran, in the last few days, including today, 170 Indian nationals have crossed through the land border into Armenia. Several of them have already come back to India, and others will be returning over the next few days using commercial flight options available from Armenia to India," Jaiswal said.

The Indian Embassy in Tehran has earlier stated that it is facilitating the safe movement of nationals who wish to leave the Iran. This includes helping them reach Armenia and Azerbaijan via land borders, where they can access commercial flights to return to India.

He also noted that a total of 900 phone calls and 200 emails have been received so far since the establishment of a control room in the Ministry of External Affairs on March 4 to assist Indian nationals amid the evolving situation in the Gulf region.

"Till now, we have received around 900 phone calls and 200 emails. We have also observed that the number of queries through emails and telephone calls has progressively come down, which means that people are now less concerned about their families in the Gulf region," he added.

Jaiswal noted that the MEA is providing real-time assistance to those seeking help by connecting them with Indian missions in the region and facilitating communication to resolve issues faced by travellers and stranded individuals.

He further noted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's conversation with the President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Thursday, during which the Prime Minister expressed concern over the safety of Indian nationals in the region and also discussed issues related to energy and cargo trade.

The Prime Minister also reiterated India's stance on dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate tensions and end the conflict.

"Had a conversation with Iranian President, Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, to discuss the serious situation in the region. Expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions and the loss of civilian lives as well as damage to civilian infrastructure. The safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India's top priorities. Reiterated India's commitment to peace and stability and urged for dialogue and diplomacy," The Prime Minister stated in a post on X.

The Ministry of External Affairs also shared on Friday that around 1,30,000 Indians have returned to India since the developing security situation in West Asia.

Additional Secretary (Gulf), Aseem Mahajan, also shared the latest update on the flight and airspace situation in the region.

He made the remarks during the Inter-Ministerial Briefing on the recent developments in West Asia.

Mahajan said, "Let me update you on the latest flight and airspace situation in the region. Since February 28th, around 130,000 Indian nationals have returned to India."

He also provided the latest update on the flight and airspace situation in the region, noting, "In the UAE, regular non-scheduled commercial operations are operating from various airports and the availability of flights has improved; flights are available for travel. From Qatar, in the last few days, about 2,900 Indians have returned to India on Qatar Airways flights; some have also come via Saudi Arabia. And one or two flights of Qatar Airways daily to come to India in the next few days."

The Additional Secretary further noted, "In Saudi Arabia, the airspace continues to remain open. From Riyadh, yesterday, Air India Express and Indigo have started flight operations and regular flights are also available from Jeddah, Madinah, and Dammam. In Bahrain, Gulf Air has started operations from Dammam in Saudi Arabia and flights are coming to Delhi, Mumbai, and Kochi. So far, more than 1,000 Indian nationals have used these flights to return to India. In Kuwait, since the airspace is shut, the Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways is operating from the AQI airport of Saudi Arabia and it is also expected that they will start flights to India soon from this airport. In Iraq, the airspace is closed but we are facilitating travel of Indians from Saudi Arabia."

During the briefing, he also mentioned the death of two Indians who passed away in Muscat and also provided an update on Safesea Vishnu, noting that efforts are underway to repatriate the 15 Indian nationals and also to bring back the mortal remains of the Indian national.

The conflict in West Asia escalated following the killing of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28, after which Iran, in its retaliation, targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries and Israel, causing disruption in the waterway and affecting international energy markets and global economic stability.