India relocates students within Iran as Israel strikes

New Delhi said on Monday its diplomats were helping some Indian students relocate out of harm’s way in Iran, which has come under days of deadly Israeli bombardment.

Tehran has hit back with strikes against Israel since it unleashed waves of attacks against Iran on Friday, sparking global alarm that the conflict could erupt into a regional war.

New Delhi, which has relations with both countries, has sought to relocate its citizens within Iran after Tehran closed its airspace.

“The Indian Embassy in Tehran is continuously monitoring the security situation and engaging Indian students in Iran to ensure their safety,” a foreign ministry statement said.

“In some cases, students are being relocated with [the] Embassy’s facilitation to safer places within Iran,” the ministry added.

There are around 10,000 Indian citizens in Iran, according to government data last year, while figures from 2022 listed more than 2,000 students in Iran.

New Delhi on Friday said it stood ready “to extend all possible support” to both countries, as it urged them to “avoid any escalatory steps”.

“Existing channels of dialogue and diplomacy should be utilised,” said foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal.

Iran’s health ministry has reported at least 224 people killed in Israeli strikes, while Israeli authorities have tallied more than a dozen deaths since Tehran began its retaliatory attacks Friday.