One reason for this is that the internet has been down in Iran since January 5.

Editorial: Indians stranded in Iran, government has limited options: It is natural for relatives of Indians stranded in Iran to be worried about the situation there. Although Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has confirmed that all Indians are safe, there are still many people criticizing the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Tehran through social media posts. One reason for this is that the internet has been down in Iran since January 5. Since the anti-government protests that began on December 28, 2025, the Iranian government has adopted the method of shutting down the internet first in some select areas and then in the entire country.

Due to the closure of direct and indirect sources of communication, the only source of communication for the relatives of Indians in Iran is the Indian Embassy. But even for the embassy, ​​​​due to the absence of internet and phone services, it is not an easy task to contact every Indian. According to some media reports, there are currently around 13,000 Indians in Iran, out of which around 3,000 are medical students. The Kashmiri Students Association (KMSA) claims that around 3,000 students from Kashmir alone are in Iran, but the Indian Ministry of External Affairs does not agree with this figure. It is also believed that students from other Indian states like Telangana, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh are also studying MBBS in Iran. Most of the Indian students are from the Shia Muslim community as they get admission in that country easily and also get some concession in terms of fees.

Apart from the students, around 150 Indian devotees are said to have reached the holy city for pilgrimage. Similarly, hundreds of Indian workers are in various Iranian provinces for the Chabahar port and other Indian projects. The responsibility of reaching all of them has become a big problem for the Indian embassy. In Iran, organized protests against the rule of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began in a market in the national capital, Tehran. This program of shutting down shops and other businesses against the economic recession and excessive inflation quickly took on a nationwide form. Transport workers supported the shopkeepers' movement, and then students and women fed up with religious restrictions and conventions also joined in. Violence and arson also occurred.

The excessive severity exercised by the police and security agencies, especially the Revolutionary Guards, has so far resulted in more than 650 deaths and about three thousand arrests. Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, continues to fuel anti-government protests, seeing this movement as an opportunity to return to power.

He has also been urging US President Donald Trump to intervene decisively in Iran. Due to such reasons, there is a situation like civil disobedience in the country. The Indian embassy claims that it is in constant touch with the authorities of Isfahan, Shiraz, Kerman, Mashhad and Zahedan, besides Tehran. There are a large number of Indian students or workers in these cities. However, the concern of the relatives of these people is justified as the situation is worrying.

This is the second time in the last six months that the Indian government has had to make preparations for the safe evacuation of Indian citizens from Iran. In view of the kind of unstable situation prevailing in the world at present, it is necessary that the government discourages the departure of Indians towards West Asia, the African continent and Latin America.

Apart from this, it should be made mandatory for every Indian who goes to any country in these regions for work, study or travel to register with the concerned Indian embassy. Internet and phone services have been suspended in the entire Iran since January 8. There is no certainty or prediction about how long this 'blackout' will continue. Therefore, it is important that the kind of help that is possible for the stranded Indians should be ensured.