Indians have been asked not to travel to Iran after they launched a massive missile attack on Israel. The government said Indian nationals already in the country should remain vigilant and keep in touch with the embassy in Tehran.
The war situation in the Middle East saw a sharp escalation yesterday after a barrage of hypersonic missiles lit up the night sky over Israel – an offensive Iran said was aimed at avenging the recent killings of top leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah.
The Indian government is closely monitoring the recent escalation of the security situation in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement shared online by spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Travel advice for Indian nationals regarding Iran: https://t.co/FhUhy3fA5kpic.twitter.com/tPFJXl6tQy
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) October 2, 2024
“Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran. Those currently in Iran are requested to remain vigilant and stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Tehran,” the travel advisory said.
The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv had yesterday asked Indians in the country to exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel and stay close to safety shelters.
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“The embassy is closely monitoring the situation and maintains regular contact with the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all our nationals,” the embassy said in its advice.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar yesterday expressed concern over the possibility of the Middle East crisis turning into a larger regional conflict. “We are very concerned about the possibility of an expansion of the conflict, not only what happened in Lebanon, but also, you know, I referred earlier to the Houthis and the Red Sea, and to some extent everything that's going on has happened. That happens between Iran and Israel,” he said.
Tuesday's attack marked a major escalation in ties between Israel and Iran, which had deteriorated after the October 7 Hamas attacks. Iran supports Hamas and the Palestinian cause. Israel is also fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which controls Lebanon.
