India has advised its citizens to leave Iran immediately due to the evolving security situation, as fears of a potential US strike on Tehran escalate.

NEW DELHI: The Indian Embassy in Tehran issued a formal advisory on Monday, urging all Indian nationals currently in the country to depart using available commercial flights.

This urgent advisory comes ahead of a planned visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel on Wednesday, a trip that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said would help forge a new alliance against “radical” adversaries.

The Indian foreign ministry estimates there are typically around 10,000 Indian citizens and people of Indian origin in Iran at any given time.

“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,” the embassy’s social media post stated.

Modi expressed his anticipation for the discussions in Israel, writing on social media that “India deeply values the enduring friendship with Israel, built on trust, innovation and a shared commitment to peace and progress.”

This will be Modi’s second visit to Israel as prime minister, following his historic 2017 trip which was reciprocated by Netanyahu’s visit to India the following year.

New Delhi has significantly expanded its cooperation with Israel across defence, agriculture, technology and security sectors in recent years.

Simultaneously, India maintains robust diplomatic and economic relations with Gulf nations and Tehran, including its strategic development of Iran’s Chabahar port as a key trade route to Afghanistan.

India has also worked to develop its relationship with Taliban authorities in Afghanistan, balancing its complex foreign policy interests in the volatile region.

 The Sun Malaysia