The first two commercial flights carrying Indian nationals from Iran landed in Delhi late Friday night, following weeks of unrest and violent protests against Iran’s leadership. These flights were regular commercial services and not part of any official evacuation operation.

The Indian government, however, remains fully prepared to assist its citizens if the situation worsens. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had advised Indians to avoid non-essential travel to Iran and had closely monitored developments as protests spread across the country.

Several returning Indian nationals thanked the Indian government and the Embassy in Tehran for their support and guidance during the crisis.

What returnees said

An MBBS student who returned to India said she had heard about the protests but did not witness any violence directly. She added that internet services were shut down, which made communication difficult.

Another Indian national, who had been in Iran for a month, said that the situation became difficult only in the last couple of weeks. “When we went outside, protesters would come in front of the car. They would cause a little trouble. There was no internet, so we couldn’t inform our families and were very worried. We couldn’t even contact the embassy,” he said.

An electrical engineer who had travelled to Iran for work said the main problem he faced was the lack of network connectivity. He added that the situation had now improved.

Another returnee said the protests were dangerous but added that the number of people supporting the government was higher than those protesting. He thanked the Indian government for helping students return safely.

One Indian national from Jammu and Kashmir said, “The protests there were dangerous. The Indian government has made a very good effort and brought the students back.”

India’s monitoring

The Indian Embassy in Tehran issued advisories asking Indian citizens, including students, pilgrims, tourists, and businesspeople, to leave Iran using available commercial flights due to the “evolving situation.” At the same time, the MEA in New Delhi strongly advised Indians to avoid travel to Iran until further notice.

India continues to closely monitor the situation, as over 9,000 Indian nationals are currently in Iran.

The unrest in Iran was further intensified by rising tensions with the United States. US President Donald Trump had earlier warned of “very strong action” if Iran carried out mass executions of protesters. He later said that Iranian authorities had called off the planned executions.

“I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!” Trump wrote on social media.

Human rights groups, including the US-based HRANA, have reported that at least 3,090 people have been killed during the protests, including 2,885 protesters. Iranian state media has also reported large numbers of arrests.

While the situation in Tehran and other parts of Iran now appears to be stabilising, the Indian government has said it will remain alert and continue to support its citizens. Officials have reiterated that the safety and well-being of Indian nationals abroad remain a top priority.