India Evacuates Nationals From Iran Via Armenia And Azerbaijan: MEA

India has thanked the government and people of Armenia for helping evacuate more than 550 Indian nationals from Iran, as New Delhi continues efforts to move citizens out of the country amid a difficult security situation. The Ministry of External Affairs said the evacuations were carried out with the support of regional partners, including Armenia and Azerbaijan, while the Indian embassy in Tehran remains functional despite challenging conditions. Officials said many of those evacuated were pilgrims, while others included students and workers who are being shifted to safer locations before returning to India.

Evacuation Via Armenia

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said over 550 Indian nationals have so far crossed from Iran into Armenia with the assistance of Indian authorities and local governments. India thanked the government and people of Armenia for facilitating the safe evacuation of its citizens during the ongoing situation.

#WATCH | Delhi: MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “…We also have had approximately 90 of our nationals from Iran cross over into Azerbaijan through the land border. These movements were facilitated by our embassy in Tehran. They helped them with visas, as well as with… pic.twitter.com/40KZ7UguX9

— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2026

He said the Indian embassy in Tehran coordinated the movement and helped nationals with visas and immigration formalities required for crossing the land border. Among those evacuated were 284 Indian pilgrims who had travelled to Iran for religious visits. Some of them have already returned to India, while others are expected to do so in the coming days.

Crossings Into Azerbaijan

Jaiswal said around 90 Indian nationals also crossed into Azerbaijan from Iran through the land border as part of the evacuation effort. He added that the embassy in Tehran continues to remain fully functional despite the difficulties and is assisting Indian citizens on the ground.

The spokesperson said several Indian students who were outside Tehran have been relocated to safer cities in recent days as a precaution, and the government is closely monitoring the situation while coordinating further movements if required.

Jaishankar Thanks Armenia

Jaishankar said India was grateful to the Armenian government and its people for assisting in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran.

“Thank the Government and the people of Armenia for facilitating the safe evacuation of over 550 Indian nationals from Iran so far. Appreciate their support in these challenging times,” he said.

Thank the Government and the people of Armenia for facilitating the safe evacuation of over 550 Indian nationals from Iran so far.

Appreciate their support in these challenging times. @AraratMirzoyan

🇮🇳 🇦🇲

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 16, 2026

Officials said the evacuations were part of ongoing efforts to move Indians out of Iran through land routes as air travel options remain limited due to the situation in the region.