1,200 Indians evacuated from Iran via Armenia, Azerbaijan; 6 lakh passengers return home from West Asia

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that India has evacuated over 1,200 of its citizens from Iran as tensions continue to escalate in West Asia.

Speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing in the capital, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that the evacuation is being routed through Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the Central government coordinating closely to ensure safe transit.

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“Approximately 1,200 Indian nationals have been evacuated so far, including 845 students,” Jaiswal said. He added that 996 evacuees were moved to Armenia, while 204 crossed into Azerbaijan, where Indian missions are facilitating their onward journey to India.

Delhi: MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “Indian nationals in Iran. As we have kept you updated with details in regard to our nationals being able to, how they are, our embassy is facilitating their movement from Iran into Azerbaijan and Armenia. In that regard, I have an… pic.twitter.com/TClTkQqPae

— IANS (@ians_india) April 2, 2026

The government is working in coordination with local authorities in both countries to manage logistics and provide assistance to those in transit. Officials said arrangements have been put in place to ensure the safety and comfort of evacuees until they are repatriated.

The MEA also highlighted the scale of movement from the region amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which has now entered its second month.

According to Aseem R Mahajan, Additional Secretary (Gulf) at the Ministry of External Affairs, more than 6.24 lakh passengers have returned to India from West Asia since February 28.

Air travel between India and the region continues under restrictions, with airlines operating limited, non-scheduled services depending on safety conditions. Around 90 such flights were expected to operate from the UAE to various Indian cities on Thursday.

Delhi: Aseem Mahajan, Additional Secretary (Gulf), says, “We continue to facilitate travel of Indian nationals from Iran through Armenia and Azerbaijan to India, from Israel through Egypt and Jordan to India, from Iraq through Jordan and Saudi Arabia to India, and from Kuwait and… pic.twitter.com/FbqmejgQrK

— IANS (@ians_india) April 2, 2026