India Successfully Evacuates Over 2,300 Citizens Amid West Asia Conflict

In a significant development, the Ministry of External Affairs of India has confirmed the safe return of 2,361 individuals from West Asia since the conflict began. This includes students, fishermen, and foreign nationals. The evacuation efforts were facilitated through Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the Indian Embassy urging remaining nationals to leave promptly. The backdrop of these evacuations is a ceasefire between Iran and the U.S., following a series of military strikes. For more details on this ongoing situation and the government's response, read the full article.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 17, 2026, 17:46 IST

Evacuation Efforts by the Ministry of External Affairs

New Delhi: On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that India has successfully repatriated 2,361 individuals since the onset of the conflict in West Asia.

During a media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted that this number includes Indian students, fishermen, and three foreign nationals.

Jaiswal stated, "Since the conflict began, we have facilitated the return of 2,361 Indian citizens from Iran. Out of these, 2,060 were evacuated via Armenia and 301 through Azerbaijan. This total includes 1,041 Indian students and three foreign nationals—one each from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Guyana. Previously, I mentioned that around 7,500 Indian nationals were in Iran at that time."

This announcement from the MEA coincides with a two-week ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States, which commenced on April 8.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also reported that an additional 312 Indian fishermen were evacuated from Iran to India via Armenia, expressing gratitude to the Armenian government for their assistance on April 11.

Jaishankar shared on social media, "Another 312 Indian fishermen safely evacuated from Iran to India through Armenia. Thank you to the Government of Armenia and my friend Ararat Mirzoyan for facilitating this. Armenia has been instrumental in aiding the evacuation of Indian nationals in Iran."

The Indian Embassy in Iran has urged Indian citizens still in the country to leave promptly, coordinating with the Embassy and utilizing the recommended routes as of April 8. They cautioned against approaching any international land borders without prior consultation with the Embassy and provided emergency contact numbers for Indian nationals in Iran.

The conflict escalated when Israel and the United States initiated joint strikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities on February 28, resulting in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with several senior military officials and civilians. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli and U.S. interests in the Middle East and increased its control over the Strait of Hormuz.