Exercise utmost caution, India urges its citizens in UAE, Syria, other 7 Middle East nations

New Delhi: India on Saturday advised its nationals in Iran, Israel and several other Middle East countries to exercise utmost caution following a major military escalation in the region triggered by a joint US-Israel strike on Iran. After the strikes by the US and Israel, Iran carried out retaliatory military attacks targeting Israel and American military bases in the region, including in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain.

In response to the developments, New Delhi urged all sides to exercise maximum restraint and prevent further escalation.

Indian missions in Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Palestine issued separate advisories, asking Indian nationals to stay alert and follow prescribed safety and emergency measures.

In its advisory, the Indian Embassy in Iran urged Indians to avoid unnecessary travel and remain indoors as much as possible.

“Given the evolving situation, all Indian nationals in Iran are advised to exercise utmost caution, avoid unnecessary movements and remain indoors as far as possible,” it said.

The mission further advised Indians to monitor news updates, maintain situational awareness and await additional guidance from the embassy, while reiterating its emergency contact details.

Over 50,000 Indians in Iran, Israel
According to official estimates from January, slightly over 10,000 Indians, including students, were residing in Iran. The Indian Embassy in Israel issued a similar advisory, calling on Indian nationals to exercise “utmost caution and remain vigilant at all times.”

The Indian community in Israel numbers over 41,000 people. The advisory urged Indian nationals to strictly follow safety instructions issued by Israeli authorities and the Home Front Command.

It also advised them to stay close to designated shelters and familiarise themselves with the nearest protected spaces at their residence or workplace.

Indian nationals were further advised to avoid all non-essential travel within Israel until further notice and to regularly monitor local news, official announcements and emergency alerts.

The mission asked citizens to contact the embassy in Tel Aviv in case of emergencies and said it remains in close coordination with relevant authorities, continuing to provide updates as required.

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh advised nationals in Saudi Arabia to stay vigilant and strictly comply with safety guidelines issued by local authorities, adding that the embassy and the consulate in Jeddah are functioning normally.

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait also released a similar advisory, encouraging Indians to monitor news and official announcements from the Kuwaiti government. The Indian mission in Ramallah, Palestine urged nationals to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary movement.

Indian embassies in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan also issued comparable advisories to their citizens.

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump, while announcing the military offensive against Tehran, urged the people of Iran to “take over” their government, describing it as “probably your only chance for generations.”

The joint US-Israel strikes on Iran followed weeks of negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear programme that failed to yield any concrete results.

Iranian state media reported that at least 85 people were killed at a girls’ school in southern Iran during the US-Israel strikes.