MEA advises Indian nationals to leave Iran, exercise caution, avoid areas of protests

Iran has been seeing protests since the end of December over economic conditions. Indians are advised to use any available means of transport, including commercial flights, to leave Iran.

A burnt car lies on the road following unrest sparked by dire economic conditions, in a place given as Tehran, Iran, 10 January, 2026 | IRIB via Wana (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

New Delhi: India has advised its citizens to leave Iran by any “available means of transport”, as the situation in the West Asian country continues to deteriorate, after weeks of protests by Iranians against the current economic scenario.

“In continuation of the advisory issued by the Government of India on 5 January 2025, and in view of the evolving situation in Iran, Indian nationals who are currently in Iran (students, pilgrims, business persons and tourists) are advised to leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights,” the advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran said.

The advisory added: “It is reiterated that all Indian citizens and PIOs should exercise due caution, avoid areas of protests or demonstrations, stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Iran, and monitor local media for any developments.”

The embassy also urged all Indian nationals to have their travel documents ready and to remain in touch with officials from the mission. Over a week ago, the Indian Embassy warned its nationals remaining in Iran to exercise “due caution” and avoid any of the ongoing disturbances in the country.

Protests have been ongoing in Iran since the end of December over the economic situation in the country. Led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the current Iranian administration has sought to end the protests that have spread across the country.

The protests have seemingly become the biggest challenge to the government of Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which led to the overthrow of the previous regime, led by the Shah.

The current protests began after a dramatic collapse of the Iranian currency, the Rial, as a result of the ongoing sanctions imposed by the West, including the United States.

The country has been under an internet lockdown for over 90 hours, and it has been hard to verify the information being shared by international activists living outside of Iran.

According to these groups, at least 2,400 people have been killed in the protests in Iran.

The protests have also caught the eye of US President Donald J. Trump. In his latest social media post, Trump urged Iranians to “KEEP PROTESTING” and to “TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS”. The US President promised that the “killers and abusers” in the regime will “pay a big price.”

Trump added: “I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!! [Make Iran Great Again].”

In an earlier statement, following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 2 January, Trump had said that the US was “locked and loaded” to deal with Tehran if it continued to repress the protests in the country.

On Monday, the US President announced a 25 percent tariff on all nations continuing trade with Tehran. It is unclear if these tariffs could impact India. However, trade between New Delhi and Tehran has dropped since the US sanctions were imposed in 2019 to roughly $1.6 billion in the 2024-2025 financial year.

Will not back down, says Tehran

The Iranian government has not backed down after the US threats, with Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi making it clear in an address Monday that Tehran will step back from a fight, but is open to negotiating with Washington, DC.

Araghchi had planned to visit India this week, but it has now been postponed due to the situation in Iran. Iranian government officials, including Araghchi, have been in touch with their counterparts in Qatar, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates. The Foreign Minister of Oman visited the country last week.

According to media reports, Iran has warned countries in West Asia, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, of retaliatory strikes against US bases located in those countries, in case Washington, DC, launches any military action against Tehran.

Last year, Iran hit Al Udeid air base in Qatar in retaliation for the strikes conducted by the US and Israel against its nuclear programme. Some personnel have been urged to leave the base in Qatar by Wednesday evening, according to Reuters.

Trump has been mulling action against Iran. However, the scope and targets are unclear, The New York Times reports.

The opposition in Iran has been struggling to unify around any one leader or movement, further complicating the situation within the country.

Reza Pahlavi, the former crown prince of Iran, has been pushing for US intervention in Iran over the last week, urging Trump to strike at Ayatollah Khamenei. However, the monarchy in Iran lost power in 1979 due to its own oppressive policies, especially those carried out by its security forces, SEVAK. The former crown prince has lived in exile for almost five decades now.

There have also been no defections from the Iranian security forces, especially the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to media reports.

On Tuesday, several Western countries, including the European Union, made strong statements against Tehran for its measures to clamp down on the protests. The flurry of statements and interest from the West in the ongoing protests in Iran has led to the government labelling the protesters as “terrorists” being supported by the enemies of the country.

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)