India has issued an advisory for its citizens asking them not to travel to Iran or Israel amid growing concerns over Tehran's retaliatory strikes over the Damascus consulate attack on 1 April..
“In view of the prevailing situation in the region, all Indians are advised not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice,” the advisory issued by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said.
“All those who are currently residing in Iran or Israel are requested to get in touch with Indian Embassies there and register themselves,” the Indian advisory further read.
New Delhi has also advised its nationals in Iran and Israel to “observe utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum”.
Iran has vowed to retaliate against a deadly airstrike alleged an Iranian consulate in Damascus on 1 April. The strike left 13 people, including senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) commanders, dead.
Addressing a large gathering in Tehran to mark the end of Ramadan on Wednesday, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel's consulate strike "must be punished and will be punished," domestic media reported.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Thursday that Iran could strike Israel within the next 48 hours. The report has sparked global concerns for a further escalation in the region as Israel continues to defy global calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant have vowed a direct and appropriate response to any Iranian strike from its territory.
Indians in Iran and Israel
As of January 2022, around 15,000 Indian citizens were residing in Israel, many of them students and healthcare workers.
New Delhi evacuated nearly 1,300 of its citizens in Israel as part of 'Operation Ajay' last October in the wake of escalation in hostilities following the 7 October attack by Hamas.
However, 60 Indian construction workers arrived in Israel last week, which constituted the first batch of migrant workers under a government-to-government (G2G) agreement.
Around 6,000 Indian workers are expected to travel to Israel under the migration and mobility pact, reports suggest.
Nearly 5,000 Indian citizens are living in Iran, according to official data.
Last week, the Indian government had said that it was "distressed at the escalating tensions in West Asia and the potential to fuel further violence and instability."
"We urge all parties to avoid actions that go against commonly accepted principles and norms of international law," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a regular briefing.