"Govt cooperating a lot": Indian nationals return from Iran amid nationwide protests

New Delhi [India], January 17 (ANI): Several Indian nationals arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi from Iran late Friday evening amid rising regional tensions.
This comes after the Indian government advised its nationals in Iran to leave the country due to the volatile security situation, with the Ministry of External Affairs stressing that it is closely monitoring developments and is "committed to doing whatever is necessary for their well-being."
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 said.
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.
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".
In parallel, another advisory issued by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi strongly advised Indians to avoid travel to Iran until further notice in view of ongoing developments. It reiterated an earlier advisory issued on January 5, urging Indians in Iran to remain cautious and avoid participating in protests or demonstrations.
The protests began at Tehran's Grand Bazaar on December 28 over the Iranian rial's record fall in value and later spread into nationwide demonstrations. The decline in the currency followed multiple crises, including unprecedented water shortages, power outages, rising unemployment and surging inflation. (ANI)