Several Indian nationals return home from Iran amid deadly protests

An advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran asked Indian nationals, including students, businesspeople, pilgrims and tourists, to depart Iran through available means of transport.

Following the violent suppression of protests and civil unrest in Iran, and the subsequent return of relative calm to the country, a prominent hardline cleric has called for the death penalty for protesters who have been arrested, and has directly threatened President Trump, underscoring the fury gripping the country’s authorities.

What prompted Indian nationals to return from Iran amid the unrest?

Due to an increased escalation of violence in Iran, the Indian government has launched large-scale efforts to evacuate its citizens. Passengers who arrived at Delhi airport on Friday night expressed relief at returning home, tempered by fear of the violence they escaped. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) continues to monitor developments in Iran, and plans to take all measures necessary to protect and support Indian nationals. Many of the Indian nationals returning from Iran provided disturbing reports of what life was like inside Iran.

“An Indian national, who returned from Iran, described the “bad situation” in Iran and thanked the Indian government for cooperating with the nationals to help them leave the country. “The conditions are bad there. The Government of India is cooperating a lot, and the Embassy provided us with information on leaving Iran as early as possible…’Modi ji hai toh har cheez mumkin hai’,” he was quoted as saying to news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Delhi | An Indian national who returned from Iran says, “I am pursuing an MBBS at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The situation there is normal. There are no internet services. We heard about protests in Iran but never saw anything like that…” pic.twitter.com/lIbcEBTidp
— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2026

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Another national told ANI, “We were there for a month. But we were only facing problems for the last one or two weeks…When we went outside, the protesters would come in front of the car. They would cause a little trouble…The internet was shut down, which is why we couldn’t tell our families anything, so we were a little worried…We couldn’t even contact the embassy.”

Another Indian national who returned from Iran said, “I am a resident of Jammu and Kashmir… The protests there were dangerous. The Indian government has made a very good effort and brought the students back…”Meanwhile, many relatives of those returning from Iran have reached Indira Gandhi International Airport to receive their loved ones.In the midst of those is a family, waiting for the return of their aunt, who went to Iran on pilgrimage.

“My wife’s aunt went to Iran on a pilgrimage…Iran has always been a good friend of India and we were very confident in the Modi government, which continuously supported…We thank the government of India for making this possible. We are very happy as our family member is returning to India.”Another person who was waiting for his sister-in-law to return thanked the Indian government for their coordination.

“My sister-in-law is returning from Iran today. There was a war-like situation in Iran, and the internet was down. We were not able to contact her by any means. We were worried…We are very happy that she is returning to India safely…We thank the Government of India for making arrangements for their return to India during these difficult times,” he said. “My mother and aunt are returning from Iran. We were worried because we were unable to contact her for three days…They are returning to India today,” another family member of the Indian National returning from Iran said.

What has the Ministry of External Affairs said about the evacuation?

An advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran asked Indian nationals, including students, businesspeople, pilgrims and tourists, to depart Iran through available means of transport, including commercial flights, citing the “evolving situation”.

What is happening in Iran?

On December 28, 2025, unrest broke out in Tehran’s bazaars and marketplaces after the Iranian rial’s value plummeted to unprecedented lows due to an annual inflation rate of over 42 per cent. At present, Iran is still recovering from the Israeli-Iranian War held in June 2024 and years of harsh international economic sanctions. The country’s citizens feel hopeless and angry over the lack of electricity and gasoline, which has given rise to widespread anger and hopelessness across the country.