India issues advisory for its citizens as Israel strikes Iran nuclear facilities
The Embassy of India in Iran has urged Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin to remain vigilant and avoid all non-essential movement.
India on Saturday urged its thousands of citizens in Iran and Israel to remain vigilant following a wave of Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear establishments.
The Israeli military carried out at least two waves of air strikes that targeted locations in Tehran, Natanz, Tabriz, Isfahan, Arak and Kermanshah. Iran’s state-run media reported that some nuclear scientists and Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were among those killed in the Israeli strikes.
A social media post by the Indian embassy in Tehran said: “In view of the current situation in Iran, all Indian nationals & persons of Indian origin in Iran are requested to remain vigilant, avoid all unnecessary movements, follow the Embassy’s Social Media accounts & observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities.”
Another social media post by the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv stated that “all Indian nationals in Israel are advised to stay vigilant and adhere to the safety protocols as advised by the Israeli authorities and home front command (oref.org.il/eng)” because of the prevailing situation in the region.
“Please exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel within [Israel] and stay close to safety shelters,” the advisory said.
Iran is currently home to more than 4,000 Indians, mostly students, academics and petty traders. They are mostly concentrated in Tehran and a few other cities.
The number of Indians in Israel has swelled to more than 32,000 in recent months after Israeli authorities increased the hiring of Indian blue collar workers to replace Palestinians in sectors such as care-giving and construction. Indians living in Israel are spread across the country.
People familiar with the matter said there were no immediate plans to evacuate Indian nationals from both countries. The situation is being closely monitored and all steps are being taken to ensure the well-being of Indian nationals, they said.
