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Evacuation from Iran only if problems on ground, says Govt

Conditional US waiver for Chabahar until April, working it out: MEA

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 17, 2026 04:48 AM IST

Vehicles drive in downtown Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo)

Stating that there are about 9,000 Indians in Iran, India said Friday that commercial flights continue to operate out of Iran and Indian nationals who wish to return can avail that option.

Simultaneously, the government is exploring evacuation options once commercial flights are not available or it becomes difficult for Indians to travel within the country to board those flights.

The Ministry of External Affairs also said India has a “conditional sanctions waiver” until April 26 this year for the Chabahar port project in Iran from the US administration and is “engaged with the US side” to work out an arrangement.

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Responding to questions on bringing back Indian nationals from Iran which has been roiled by street protests and its regime threatened by the US, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “There are 9,000 Indians in Iran, mostly students, business, some professionals, pilgrims and seafarers.”

People attend a rally in support of Iran's anti-government protests, in Yalova, Turkey, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. The placard reads in Turkish: "12.000 people were killed in this genocide". (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People attend a rally in support of Iran’s anti-government protests, in Yalova, Turkey, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. . (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Signalling a more cautious approach while underlining India’s “long-standing relations with Iran”, he said, “We continue to closely watch the unfolding situation there and we are committed to taking all necessary steps for the welfare of our people.” He said the Indian embassy in Tehran is “in touch” with members of the Indian community and is looking after them.

Also Read | Why ‘return of the Shah’ is about history and memory in Iran

On the Chabahar port development project by India – the project has hit turbulence because of the sanctions and reports that Delhi may pull out – Jaiswal said, “As you are aware, on 28 October 2025, the US Department of Treasury had issued a letter outlining the guidance on the conditional sanctions waiver valid until 26 April 2026. We remain engaged with the US side in working out this arrangement.”

Chabahar is a deep-water port located in the Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran. Close to the Chinese-developed Gwadar port in Pakistan, Chabahar can provide easy and secure access for large cargo ships. India is developing the port to access Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Shubhajit Roy

Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism ‘2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury’s special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban’s capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More

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