India advises its nationals to leave Iran by 'all available means'

The Indian Embassy in Tehran issued a fresh advisory on Monday, asking its nationals in Iran to leave the country by available means of transport, including commercial flights.

The Indian Embassy stated that the advisory has been issued in continuation of the advisory issued on Jan.5 and in view of the evolving situation in Iran.

"In continuation of the advisory issued by the Government of India on Jan.5, 2026, and in view of the evolving situation in Iran, Indian nationals who are currently in Iran (students, pilgrims, business persons and tourists) are advised to leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights," the advisory stated.

"The 14 January 2026 Advisory is hereby reiterated that all Indian citizens and PIOS should exercise due caution, avoid areas of protests or demonstrations, stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Iran and monitor local media for any developments. All Indian nationals in Iran are requested to also have their travel and immigration documents, including passports and IDs, readily available with them. They are requested to contact the Indian Embassy for any assistance in this regard," it added.

The Embassy also shared emergency contact numbers for assistance. Indian nationals in Iran who have not yet registered with the Embassy have been asked to do so online. In case of internet disruptions in Iran, families of Indian nationals in India have been asked to complete registration on their behalf.

US President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing military options against Iran as diplomacy enters what officials describe as a last-ditch phase, even as Tehran’s closest partners - China and Russia - appear reluctant to offer direct military backing in any conflict with the United States.

According to a report in 'The Wall Street Journal', Iran has sought for years to build closer military ties with Beijing and Moscow. But its powerful friends are "proving reluctant to step forward” as the regime faces what the paper described as the "most acute US threat to its survival in decades.”

Russia and Iran conducted small-scale naval drills in the Gulf of Oman this past week. An exercise involving Chinese ships is also planned in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported.

Yet analysts told the Journal that Beijing and Moscow have shown little willingness to provide direct military assistance if Trump orders an attack on Iran.

"They’re not going to sacrifice their own interests for the Iranian regime,” Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli military intelligence official, was quoted as saying.

"They are hoping the regime will not be toppled, but they are definitely not going to counter the US militarily.”

At the same time, The New York Times reported that Trump has told advisors that if diplomacy or any initial targeted US attack does not lead Iran to give up its nuclear programme, he would consider a much larger assault intended to drive the country’s leaders from power.

Negotiators from Washington and Tehran are scheduled to meet in Geneva for talks aimed at avoiding military conflict. But Trump has been weighing options for US action if negotiations fail.

Targets under consideration range from the headquarters of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to nuclear and ballistic missile facilities, the New York Times reported.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, insisted in a television interview that the country was not ready to give up what he called its "right” to make nuclear fuel under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.

Indo-Asian News Service