India advises citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Iran

NEW DELHI: The Indian Embassy in Iran issued a travel advisory on Wednesday, urging Indian nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Iran. The advisory comes amid rising security concerns in the region over the past several weeks.

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“In view of the security-related developments over the past several weeks, Indian nationals are advised to carefully consider the evolving situation before undertaking non-essential travel to Iran”, the Indian Embassy said on X. Further, the embassy also “advised to continue to monitor the latest regional developments and follow updated advisories issued by the Indian authorities”.

For Indian nationals currently in Iran who wish to return, the embassy has noted that options are available. “Indian nationals already in Iran, and interested in leaving, may avail the commercial flight and ferry options which are available right now”, it said.

The advisory follows a sharp spike in regional hostilities that began with Israel’s launch of ‘Operation Rising Lion’ on June 13, bombing Iranian military and nuclear facilities. In response, Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against Israeli targets. The United States, in support strong for Israel, retaliated with attacks on key Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on June 22.

The Iranian Armed Forces launched retaliatory strikes, targeting key positions across the Israeli-occupied territories and on the US military airbase in Qatar. The 12-day war came to an end on June 24 when Israel declared a unilateral halt to its aggression, announced on its behalf by US President Donald Trump.

Washington maintains that Iran’s uranium enrichment programme could lead to developing nuclear bombs, while Tehran has consistently denied the claim, insisting that its nuclear programme is meant for civilian purposes.

In July 2015, the Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed between Iran and several world powers, including the United States. The agreement capped Tehran’s enrichment level at 3.67 per cent and reduced its uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms.

The deal collapsed in 2018 with Trump’s unilateral withdrawal of the US from the accord. Since then, Iran has started exceeding agreed-upon limits to its stockpile of low-enriched uranium in 2019, and began enriching uranium to higher concentrations up to 60 per cent purity, which is very close to the weapons-grade level.

Earlier this month, Iranian President Pezeshkian signed into law a bill suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The state broadcaster of Iran reported that Pezeshkian ratified the bill after Parliament approved the legislation. (ANI)