5 dead, over dozen injured in Azerbaijan's Ganja city after rocket destroys residential building

India on Thursday highlighted a high-level diplomatic push to protect Indian interests, emphasising the twin priorities of citizen safety and the stability of energy supply chains.

MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, while addressing an Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia, said that the Indian Embassy in Tehran remains fully operational and is on high alert. The government is assisting Indian nationals, including students and pilgrims, who wish to leave the country. He further added that those choosing to exit Iran via land, the embassy is assisting citizens in crossing into Armenia and Azerbaijan, from where they can board commercial flights to return to India.

Indian students studying in Iran have begun making arrangements to leave the country amid growing safety concerns, with the first batch expected to depart for the Armenia border on Thursday as evacuation plans gradually take shape.

According to Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, President of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) J-K, nearly all students from Urmia University of Medical Sciences are planning to return. A group of over 30 students has already booked tickets and is expected to reach New Delhi on March 15 via Dubai, while others are scheduled to arrive on March 16.

As the crisis escalates in West Asia, Reuters reported, citing Iraqi security sources on Saturday (local time) that a rocket attack targeted military base housing US diplomatic centre near the Baghdad international airport, as per Iraqi security sources.