Nearly a thousand Indian students stuck in Iran, thousands stranded across West Asia

Team TOI PlusTNN
Mar 1, 2026 | 21:00 IST

Millions of Indians working across the West Asia region were advised caution and hundreds of travellers in India and Middle East were stranded as the conflict resulted in air space closures

After the US and Israel struck targets across Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader and many of the government’s top leaders, Iran retaliated by striking locations across the Middle East. Caught in the crossfire were Indians working across the West Asia region, estimated to be nearly 10 million, including students, professionals, workers, and families.

On February 28, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a formal advisory urging all Indian citizens in Iran and Israel to “exercise utmost caution and remain vigilant”. The advisory directed Indians to stay updated on local developments and follow instructions from the Indian missions abroad.
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