New Delhi, Mar 2, 2026 — India is working to protect nearly 10 million Indian nationals in several West Asian countries as tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran intensify. Over the past 24 hours, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE separately assured External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar that they will take steps to ensure the safety of the largely worker Indian community in their countries.
The government has not initiated a mass evacuation from the region. Officials say evacuations are complicated by closed airspace and by sea routes that are currently impractical. Indians in Israel may still be able to leave overland into neighbouring Jordan, a corridor used during the June 2025 crisis. For those in Iran, the government has advised roughly 10,000 Indians to depart by any available means; in June last year, some Indians were evacuated overland via Armenia.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association has written to the Prime Minister requesting evacuation assistance for about 1,200 Kashmiri students in Iran. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Centre is making continuous efforts to bring citizens home and described the situation as volatile. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan conveyed deep concern in a letter to the Prime Minister, noting anxiety among families of expatriates, particularly from Kerala.
The Ministry of External Affairs said all missions in the region remain in touch with Indian nationals and have issued advisories asking people to stay vigilant, remain in contact with missions and follow local security instructions. The Central Board of Secondary Education has postponed Class X and XII board exams scheduled for March 2 in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
On March 1 the MEA advised foreign nationals in India whose travel plans are disrupted to approach the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office for visa extensions or to regularise their stay; FRROs will handle cases individually and contact details are available on the Bureau of Immigration website. International carriers have suspended, rerouted or delayed flights because sensitive air corridors are closed, disrupting major Gulf transit hubs including Dubai.
