A total of 345 Indian fishermen returned home safely on Saturday evening after being evacuated from Iran amid rising security concerns in the region.
The group landed at Chennai airport on a flight from Armenia. Most of the fishermen belong to Tamil Nadu, which is why Chennai was chosen as the arrival point.
Officials stated that over 1,000 Indian fishermen are currently working in Iran, particularly in coastal areas in the southern part of the country. This batch was the first to be relocated from southern Iran to its northern border, from where they crossed into Armenia with assistance from Indian authorities.
The evacuation was conducted with the support of Indian missions in Tehran and Armenia’s capital, Yerevan. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed gratitude to Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and the Armenian government for facilitating the safe evacuation of Indian citizens.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, more than 1,150 Indian nationals have exited Iran via land routes through Armenia and Azerbaijan since tensions in West Asia escalated over a month ago.
Earlier, on March 15, the first group of evacuees from Iran arrived in New Delhi, carrying around 70 individuals, including students—mostly from Jammu and Kashmir—and some pilgrims.
At the onset of the conflict on February 28, around 9,000 Indians were estimated to be in Iran, including students, fishermen, professionals, businesspersons, and pilgrims. Since then, the Indian government has been actively facilitating their safe return.
Officials added that evacuation efforts are ongoing, with assistance being provided for visas and border crossings through neighbouring countries such as Armenia and Azerbaijan. More evacuations are expected in the coming days as authorities continue to help Indian nationals wishing to return home.
