‘Bad situation, no internet’: The plight of Indians who left Iran amid unrest

As the unrest in Iran intensified, India asked its nationals to leave the Islamic Republic. Now the first batch, including students and pilgrims, is back home. They landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday (January 16) after they left Iran amid worsening security situations and rising tensions following weeks of protests.

According to officials, the first flight bringing Indians home from Tehran, Mahan Air flight W5-071, arrived at the airport late Friday night. Families assembled at the terminal to greet their loved ones. NDTV reported that this was a commercial flight and not part of any evacuation effort by the Indian government.

Meanwhile, Indian authorities are keeping a close eye on the situation and working to help stranded citizens who want to return. The Ministry of External Affairs has urged Indians in Iran to leave by whatever means are available. It asserted that it is closely monitoring the situation and is “focused on ensuring the safety of Indian nationals.”

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Indians who returned safely recalled the “dangerous” situation in Iran and expressed gratitude to the Modi government for its assistance during the crisis.

‘Internet shutdown, bad situation’

Indians, who were in Iran, witnessed a dire situation unfold, from widespread demonstrations to internet shutdown, and the Khamenei regime’s crackdown on protestors. Upon their return, many shared the ordeal, describing the situation in the West Asian country as “dangerous and worsening.” They have also thanked the Indian government for facilitating their departure.

“The conditions are bad there. The Government of India is cooperating a lot, and the Embassy provided us with information on leaving Iran as early as possible… Modi ji hai toh har cheez mumkin hai,” an Indian national told news agency ANI

#WATCH | Delhi | An Indian national who returned from Iran says, "The conditions are bad there. The Government of India is cooperating a lot, and the Embassy provided us with information on leaving Iran as early as possible...'Modi ji hai toh har cheez mumkin hai'..." pic.twitter.com/q1rEOYFWa4

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2026

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Another returnee explained that the last few weeks in Iran were difficult because of the communication restrictions. Most of the Islamic Republic’s population remains cut off from the rest of the world after the regime imposed an internet blackout as the protests spread.

“We were there for a month, but we faced problems mainly in the last one or two weeks. When we went outside, protesters would come in front of the car and cause some trouble. The internet was shut down, so we couldn’t tell our families anything and were worried. We couldn’t even contact the embassy,” the man told ANI.

#WATCH | Delhi | An Indian national who returned from Iran says, "We were there for a month. But we were only facing problems for the last one or two weeks...When we went outside, the protesters would come in front of the car. They would cause a little trouble...The internet was… pic.twitter.com/b8MVri37Rq

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2026

An Indian national and a Jammu and Kashmir resident spoke about the risks posed by Iran’s volatile security situation. “I am a resident of Jammu and Kashmir. The protests there were dangerous. The Indian government has made a very good effort and brought the students back,” he said.

A family member of an Indian woman, who is now back from Iran, told ANI, “My wife’s aunt went to Iran on a pilgrimage. Iran has always been a good friend of India, and we were very confident in the Modi government, which continuously supported it. We thank the government of India for making this possible. We are very happy as our family member is returning to India.”

#WATCH | Delhi | "My wife's aunt went to Iran on a pilgrimage...Iran has always been a good friend of India and we were very confident in the Modi government, which continuously supported...We thank the government of India for making this possible. We are very happy as our family… pic.twitter.com/RC3yvFr7Eu

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2026

Others who were waiting for their relatives at the airport also narrated their plight, as they had difficulty connecting with their loved ones.

“There is a war-like situation in Iran, and the internet is shut down. I was not able to contact my sister-in-law. I am happy that she is returning from Iran,” another man told The Times of India.

The Indians in Iran

According to the MEA, there are 9,000 Indian citizens currently in Iran. Most of them are Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), and others are Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs).

#WATCH | Delhi | On the situation in Iran, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "Approximately 9,000 of our citizens are currently residing in Iran. The majority of them are students... In light of the recent developments there, we have issued two or three advisories. In these… pic.twitter.com/ivCAxwr7h9

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2026

According to a Moneycontrol analysis of data from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, nearly 2,000 Indian students opted to study in Iran in 2024. Many Indian students, especially from Kashmir, are also pursuing medicine in the country. They are enrolled at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, and Islamic Azad University.

While Kashmiris study medicine in Tehran, others pursue Islamic studies in the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad, The Indian Express reported.

The reason behind the unrest in Iran

It all began on December 28, 2025, at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar after a sharp fall in the Iranian rial, the official currency of the nation. In addition to the currency’s collapse, the country is experiencing a number of other crises, including water shortages, power cuts, rising unemployment, and high inflation.

The rial fell by about 40 per cent in six months, mainly due to a 12-day conflict with Israel in June last year and the return of UN “snapback” sanctions.

However, the protests soon snowballed into something bigger. As they spread across Iran, demonstrators started shouting slogans against the regime. What followed was a brutal crackdown in which more than 3,000 lives were lost.

Donald Trump has been threatening the Islamic Republic and mulling action, including military options. However, there has been a change of tune over the last two days.

He thanked Iran’s leadership on Friday (January 16) after saying Tehran had called off the executions of hundreds of protesters arrested in a brutal crackdown. “I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.

With inputs from agencies