‘Remain indoors’: India issues fresh advisory for nationals in Iran
Embassy relocates students, issues emergency helplines as conflict escalates and one Indian dies in tanker strike
A File image of the ruins of a police station in Iran after US backed Israel airstrikes (Photo: PTI)
New Delhi, Mar 3: India, on Tuesday, advised its nationals in Iran to exercise utmost caution and remain indoors as far as possible as the security situation in the Persian Gulf nation deteriorated following fresh military strikes by the United States and Israel.
“In view of the developing situation, all Indian nationals in Iran are advised to exercise utmost caution, avoid unnecessary movements and remain indoors as far as possible,” the Indian Embassy in Tehran said in a fresh advisory, issued on Tuesday.
“Indians may also continue to monitor the news, maintain situational awareness and await any further guidance from the Embassy of India,” it added. Around 9,000 Indians, including students, are believed to be in Iran.
In the advisory, the Embassy said that due to the heightened risk perception in Tehran city, most Indian students in the capital have been relocated to safer locations outside Tehran.
Fresh advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran on Tuesday
The Embassy said it has made arrangements for their transportation, food and accommodation. However, a small number of students who declined the Embassy’s offer continue to remain in Tehran.
With parts of Tehran and other Iranian cities reportedly declared “red zones” and communications patchy, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said on Tuesday that airstrikes have killed at least 787 people in the country since the start of the conflict.
On Monday, India reported its first casualty linked to the ongoing hostilities after an oil tanker was reportedly targeted in the Gulf of Oman, resulting in the death of an Indian national on board.
“The Embassy of India expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national on board MKD Vyom. The Embassy is in close coordination with the local authorities in Oman to facilitate the safe and early repatriation of our nationals on board the vessel,” the Embassy of India in Oman said in a statement posted on social media.
“We remain committed to extending all possible assistance in this matter,” it added.
According to Oman’s official news agency, the oil tanker MKD VYOM, flagged to the Republic of the Marshall Islands, was attacked by an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) approximately 52 nautical miles off the coast of the Sultanate of Oman.
With inputs from agencies