Up to 10,000 Indian students, pilgrims, business persons and seafarers in Iran: Jaishankar told Parliament last month | India News

Up to 10,000 Indian students, pilgrims, business persons and seafarers in Iran: Jaishankar told Parliament last month | India News

2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 1, 2026 06:27 PM IST

There are about 9,000-10,000 Indian nationals, including students, workers, pilgrims, tourists, business persons, and seafarers across 16 provinces in Iran, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on February 6 in response to a starred question asked by Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Ray about whether the Government of India had assessed the impact of the political unrest in Iran on Indians residing there, their possible repatriation, and their current numbers.

In a written response, Jaishankar stated that the Government was “closely monitoring the situation in Iran” and that the Indian embassy in Tehran was in regular contact with the Indian nationals in Iran, providing them with regular advice.

“There are about 9,000-10,000 Indian nationals across 16 provinces in Iran, which includes mainly students (and their families), workers, pilgrims, tourists, business persons and seafarers. Since Iranian airspace remains open as on date, Indian nationals wishing to leave Iran have been advised to do so using available means, including commercial flights,” the response stated.

The last evacuation from Iran organised by the Government, it added, was under Operation Sindhu in June 2025, during which 3,597 Indian nationals were evacuated. The evacuation was facilitated during the tensions between Iran and Israel. No evacuation has been organised from Iran since then.

“The Government had issued travel advisories on 05 and 14 January 2026, urging avoidance of non-essential travel to Iran, advising Indians in Iran to leave via commercial flights and to stay alert…The Government does not currently view Indian nationals in Iran as stranded, given that Iranian airspace remains open and there is regular air connectivity between Iran and India and with the countries in the region,” the minister’s response stated.

“A special evacuation has therefore not been arranged by the Government so far. Government continues to assess the situation as circumstances evolve,” it added.

Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with the national political bureau of The Indian Express. With over 16 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is a seasoned expert in national governance, electoral politics, and bureaucratic affairs. Having covered high-stakes beats including the Election Commission of India (ECI), intelligence, and urban development, Jatin provides authoritative analysis of the forces shaping Indian democracy. He is an alumnus of Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU) and the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, where he specialized in Print Journalism.
Expertise

High-Stakes Beat Coverage: Throughout his decade-and-a-half career, Jatin has covered some of the most sensitive and influential beats in the country, including:

The Election Commission of India (ECI): Monitoring electoral policy, reforms, and the conduct of national and state polls.

National Security & Intelligence: Reporting on the internal mechanisms and developments within India’s security apparatus.

Urban Development: Analyzing the policies and bureaucratic processes driving the transformation of India’s cities.

National Political Bureau: In his current role, he tracks the intersection of policy and politics, offering deep-dive reporting on the Union government and national political movements.

Academic Credentials:

Zakir Husain Delhi College (DU): Alumnus of one of Delhi’s premier institutions.

Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai: Specialized in Print Journalism at India’s most prestigious journalism school. … Read More

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