India issues travel advisory for its citizens as Iran attacks Israel
The advisory comes a day after Iran fired around 200 missiles into Israel, invoking fears of a full-fledged war in the Middle East.
The Centre on Wednesday issued a travel advisory to all Indian citizens in the wake of the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, urging them to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran. It also advised the Indian nationals living in Iran to “remain vigilant” and stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran. Follow live updates
“We are closely monitoring the recent escalation in the security situation in the region,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
The advisory comes a day after Iran fired around 200 missiles into Israel, invoking fears of a full-fledged war in the Middle East.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Indian Embassy in Israel issued an advisory to all its citizens, urging them to avoid unnecessary travel within the country.
“In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indian nationals are advised to stay vigilant and adhere to safety protocols issued by the local authorities. Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within the country and stay close to safety shelters. The Embassy is closely monitoring the situation and remains in regular touch with the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all our nationals,” the embassy wrote in a statement.
It also issued helpline numbers for the Indian nationals staying in the conflict-hit country.
Jaishankar reacts to Middle East crisis
External affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, reacting to the escalating crisis in the Middle East, said that India is “very much concerned” at the possibility of a regional war.
“We understand that Israel had a need to respond, but we also believe that any response by any country has to take into account international humanitarian law, that it must be careful about any damage or any implications for civilian populations,” he said while speaking at the Carnegie Endowment Centre for International Peace in the United States.
He also reiterated India's position, saying that it considers the Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel a “terrorist attack”, adding that it was the “root cause” of the current tensions.
Also read: Chilling video from British Airways flight's cockpit shows Iran's missiles flying over Israel
Israel vows to retaliate
After Iran's overnight attack, Israel has vowed to retaliate, saying it would respond at the “time and place of its choosing”. According to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the missile attack was a failure and that Iran would soon learn a painful lesson, just as its enemies in Gaza, Lebanon and other places have learned.
However, Iran has warned that it would carry out “crushing attacks” against Israel if it retaliated to the missile attack.
