India Repatriates Over 5,500 Citizens from Iran Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions

India Establishes Dedicated Control Room to Manage Safety of Nationals in Gulf

As tensions escalate across West Asia, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has set up a dedicated special control room to manage the safety of millions of Indian nationals in the Gulf. During an inter-ministerial briefing on Monday, officials confirmed that while the situation remains volatile, coordinated efforts are underway to facilitate repatriations and ensure the stability of maritime trade.

The Ministry of External Affairs is working closely with state governments to streamline information sharing and maintain contact with anxious families. Additional Secretary Aseem R Mahajan provided a comprehensive breakdown of flight operations, noting that while some regions remain restricted, overall connectivity is improving. The Indian Embassy in Tehran has successfully facilitated the movement of 2,549 Indian nationals out of Iran via land border routes. Indians are currently advised to avoid all travel to Iran.

Flight operations in the region are improving, with UAE airspace open and Indian and UAE carriers operating flights to various destinations in India. Flights are also operating from airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Qatar airspace is partially open, with Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, and Qatar Airways operating flights. Kuwait and Bahrain airspaces are open. Iraq's airspace is open with limited flight operations. Iran's airspace is partially open, and the MEA has advised Indian nationals to avoid traveling to Iran and urged those already there to leave with the support of the embassy.

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Despite the threat of maritime hostilities, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways reported a period of relative calm for Indian vessels. Opesh Kumar Sharma, Director of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, stated that there has been no incident involving Indian flag merchant vessels or Indian seafarers on foreign-flag merchant vessels in the past three days.

The Ministry has handled 8,889 calls and more than 19,758 emails since the activation of the control room. In the past 24 hours, 21 calls and 112 emails were received. Over the past 72 hours, a total of 152 calls and 444 emails have been received. The Ministry has facilitated the safe repatriation of more than 3,096 seafarers so far, including 27 in the past 24 hours and 77 in the last 72 hours from various locations across the Gulf.

The Ministry of External Affairs is tracking the geopolitical shifts in the West Asia region closely and is in constant touch with state governments and Union Territories for sharing information and coordinating efforts. The dedicated special control room in the Ministry is operational to respond to queries from Indian nationals and their families.

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The embassies and consulates in the region are proactively assisting Indian citizens with local government guidelines, flight and travel situations. Regular advisories are being issued, including information related to local government guidelines, flight and travel situations, consular services, and various welfare measures. The welfare of Indian seafarers is a high priority, and the missions are extending all assistance, including coordination with local authorities and assisting with requests to return to India.