Israel-Iran conflict: India begins evacuating stranded students in Tehran via THIS route?

India on Monday began evacuating its students stranded in Iran via Armenia, amid Tehran's conflict with Israel.

This development comes after the Indian government assured families of the students in India that its embassy in Iran had been continuously looking out for those students and monitoring the situation, as per a News18 report.

Earlier today, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Ellie Defrin assured ally nation India of Tel Aviv's cooperation in the safe evacuation of the stranded students.

“We will help in whatever way possible to ensure the safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran," Defrin told CNN-News18. 

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The evacuations follow peaceful protests in Srinagar on Sunday by parents of the Indian students trapped in Iran.

Five Indian students, including three from Kashmir and two from Maharashtra, have so far been injured, owing to Israeli airstrikes on Iran.

According to a student who spoke to THE WEEK from Iran, the injuries primarily occurred during an airstrike on a residential area near Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) at around 3 PM (local time) on Sunday.

“Luckily, all five students sustained only minor injuries,” said the student, who requested anonymity.

Iran currently houses 4,000+ Indians, half of whom are students, spread across major cities such as Tehran, Shiraz and Qom. Many of these students are from Jammu and Kashmir, and enrolled in medical and other professional courses. 

ALSO READ | Five Indian students injured in Israeli airstrikes in Iran

The four-day air conflict, which has led to the deaths of a significant portion of Iran's top brass, has also led to more than 224 deaths in Iran—most of whom are civilians.

Netanyahu told Israeli troops at an air base that Tel Aviv was on its way to achieving its two main aims: wiping out Iran's nuclear programme and destroying its missiles.

"We are on the path to victory," he said. "We are telling the citizens of Tehran: ‘Evacuate’ — and we are taking action," he said, as per a Reuters report.

Middle East