New Delhi: Amid the intensifying military confrontation between Iran and Israel, India has begun evacuating its citizens from the region, with the first batch of 110 Indian students successfully relocated from Iran to Armenia. According to official sources, the evacuated group will be flown to New Delhi on Tuesday, as the Indian government ramps up efforts to ensure the safety of its nationals in the conflict zone.
The Indian Embassy in Tehran has issued a fresh advisory urging all Indian nationals in Iran, especially those residing in Tehran, to evacuate and get in touch with the embassy immediately. Two emergency helplines — +989010144557 and +989128109115 — have been activated for the purpose.
The conflict, now in its fifth day, has escalated sharply after Israel launched what it called “Operation Rising Lion,” aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. In retaliation, Iran has unleashed a sustained wave of drone and missile strikes on Israeli territory, resulting in over 20 deaths and hundreds of injuries across multiple cities.
In a related development, Iranian authorities claimed they had dismantled a Mossad-linked drone-manufacturing unit operating in Tehran. Local media reported the arrest of two individuals allegedly working for the Israeli intelligence agency in separate raids across Tehran and Alborz provinces. Authorities also confiscated over 200 kg of explosives, components for 23 drones, and several launchers.
Amid the chaos, Iranian Foreign Minister and chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi condemned Israel’s attacks, stating that they “deal a blow to diplomacy” — especially at a time when Tehran was engaged in nuclear negotiations with Western nations including the US, UK, France, and Germany.
A dramatic moment unfolded during a live news broadcast in Iran, as a missile strike hit near the state TV studio. The incident forced anchor Sahar Imami to abandon the news bulletin midway as the studio shook violently from the impact.
Reacting to the rising tensions, the United States has begun reinforcing its military presence in the Middle East. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that additional defense assets are being deployed to strengthen America’s regional posture, though specific details of the deployments have not been disclosed.
Iran has further threatened to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which governs the peaceful use of nuclear energy and restricts nuclear weapons development. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, responding to the situation, warned all civilians to evacuate Tehran and reiterated his opposition to Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life… IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.”
Due to the worsening crisis, the White House announced that President Trump will cut short his visit to the G7 summit in Canada, returning early to deal with the situation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the decision, noting that Trump had signed a major trade deal with the UK before leaving the summit.
Back home, the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv has also issued an advisory for Indian citizens in Israel, urging them to remain vigilant. A 24×7 emergency helpline (+972 54-7520711, +972 54-3278392) and an emergency email (cons1.telaviv@mea.gov.in) have been set up to assist nationals in case of emergencies.
Global powers including China, the UK, and Turkey have urged both Iran and Israel to de-escalate immediately. Scheduled nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, which were expected to resume on Sunday, have now been called off amid the ongoing hostilities.
