- First two commercial flights from Iran to Delhi landed after protests against Khamenei regime
- Indian government remains prepared and had cautioned citizens against non-essential travel to Iran
- Returned Indians reported safety concerns and communication issues during protests in Iran
The first two commercial flights carrying Indians from Iran landed in Delhi late last night, since violent protests erupted against the Khamenei regime. These were regular flights and not part of any evacuation effort.
The Indian government, however, remains prepared for any eventuality. It had earlier cautioned its citizens against non-essential travel to Iran.
Some flights from India had been impacted on January 15 due to a brief closure of the Iranian airspace amid escalating tensions. The situation now appears to be moving towards normalcy, though several Indians chose to return as air traffic resumes over Iran.
Back in India, the nationals thanked the government for its assistance during the crisis. India's Embassy in Tehran had issued advisories and had been in touch with Indian pilgrims, tourists, students, and businessmen for evacuation from Iran.
An MBBS student who returned from Iran said she had heard about the protests but never saw any agitation herself and that there was no internet.
Another Indian national, who was in Iran for a month, said he had been facing problems only over 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. Therefore, we couldn't inform our families, and we were a little worried. We couldn't even contact the embassy," he added.
An electrical engineer who had gone to Iran for work purposes said the situation has now improved, with network issues being the only problem he faced during his brief stay.
"People were worried, but now the scenario in Tehran is now normal. There was fire; the protests were dangerous. However, there were fewer protesters compared to those supporting the regime," said another national, thanking the government for its efforts to bring back the students.
Tensions gripped Iran in late December, with massive protests erupting against the Ali Khamenei regime, and a violent crackdown reportedly claiming about 3,000 lives over the last two weeks. An exchange of threats between US President Donald Trump and the Iranian regime also raised fears of a military conflict.
The situation now appears to have improved, with Trump dropping his aggressive stance against the Islamic Republic.
India is observing and monitoring the situation in Iran closely, with over 9,000 nationals present in that country.
