Fact-check: Have 6 Indians been arrested during Iran protests?

Anti-government protests in Iran have killed over 500 people, according to a United States-based rights group. The West Asian country has been witnessing demonstrations for two weeks, with authorities launching a bloody crackdown on protesters who first hit the streets against the deepening economic crisis. The agitation later spiralled and calls grew opposing Iran’s theocracy.

Amid these ongoing tensions, rumours are circulating on social media that six Indians have been arrested over rioting in an Iranian city. The Iranian ambassador to India has responded to the claims.

We take a look.

Were Indians arrested in Iran?

Mohammad Fathali, Iran’s ambassador to India, has rejected unverified claims on social media that Iran has arrested six Indian nationals amid unrest.

A post on X claimed that 16 foreign nationals, including 10 Afghans and six Indians, along with Iranian nationals, were arrested for “organising and carrying out the recent rioting and destruction that occurred in Abadan, located in Khuzestan Province”.

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Fathali dismissed the claim, urging people to only rely on information from credible sources.
“The news circulated on some foreign X accounts about Iran’s developments, is totally false. I request all interested people to get their news from the reliable sources,” he wrote on X on Sunday (January 11).

The news circulated on some foreign X accounts about Iran’s developments, is totally false. I request all interested people to get their news from the reliable sources. pic.twitter.com/mZpxZVYBXR

— Iran Ambassador Mohammad Fathali (@IranAmbIndia) January 11, 2026

How many Indians are in Iran?

As many as 10,765 Indian nationals are present in Iran. Of these 10,320 are Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and the remaining are Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Thousands of Indian students, especially from Kashmir, are also studying in the West Asian country. As per a Moneycontrol analysis of data from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, roughly 2,000 Indian students chose Iran for higher education in 2024.

MEA’s data in 2022 estimated that about 2,050 Indian students were enrolled in Iran, mostly for medical studies, at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University and Islamic Azad University. Many of these were from Kashmir.

A significant number of Kashmiris pursue medical education in Tehran, while others study Islamic theology in the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad, reported Indian Express. 

As deadly demonstrations continue in Iran, India has urged its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the country. It also advised Indian nationals in Iran to exercise due caution and refrain from travelling to areas rocked by protests.

“In view of recent developments, Indian nationals are advised to avoid non-essential travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran until further notice," the MEA said on January 5.

“Indian citizens and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin), currently in Iran, should exercise due caution, avoid areas of protests or demonstrations, and closely monitor news as well as the website and social media handles of the embassy of India in Tehran,” it said.

The MEA also asked Indians living in Iran on resident-visas to register with the Embassy, if not done so yet.

Meanwhile, amid families in India worrying about their kin in Iran, the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) and the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) assured that all Indian students studying in Iran are safe.

Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, Vice President of AIMSA and FAIMA, said in a statement that many students reached out to the associations to convey messages for their families, ensuring they are safe and secure. “All our students are safe. There is no need to panic,” he said, as per ANI. 

There has been an internet shutdown in Iran since Thursday, while phone lines have also been cut.

Dr Khan added that senior officials and the Indian Embassy are closely monitoring the situation and are constantly in contact with students and local authorities to ensure their well-being. There are regular communication channels and any further developments will be shared promptly to avoid misinformation and unnecessary anxiety among families back home, the statement read.

New Delhi has said it is closely monitoring the developments in Iran. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week, “We are closely following the developments in Iran. As you would have seen, we have also issued an advisory. We have some 10,000 Indian nationals and people of Indian origin in that country.”

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Protests continue to roil Iran

Iran is witnessing the biggest protests since 2022.

Over the two weeks of unrest, the death toll has climbed to at least 544, according to US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). Of these casualties, 490 were protesters and 48 security personnel, Reuters reported, citing the rights group.

More than 10,600 people have been detained since the protests erupted in Iran on December 28, HRANA said.

US President Donald Trump has renewed threats against Iran if force is used against protesters.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. On Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump also claimed that Tehran has sought dialogue with the US, adding that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting. However, he warned that the US may have to act first as reports of casualties rise and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added, “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Tehran has warned that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America attacks the West Asian country. Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will decide if the Islamic Republic would go to war with the US.

Trump is expected meet with senior advisers on Tuesday (January 13) to discuss options for Iran, a US official told Reuters. As per the _Wall Street Journa_l, the US is mulling military strikes, cyberattacks, increasing sanctions and providing online aid to anti-government sources.

Trump revealed he was in touch with Iranian opposition leaders, as well as claimed Iran’s leaders had called him on Saturday, expressing willingness to negotiate.

Tehran has not commented on the matter.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington against “a miscalculation.”

“Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all US bases and ships will be our legitimate target,” Qalibaf, a former commander in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, was quoted as saying by Associated Press (AP). 

Iranian authorities have blamed the US and Israel for fomenting trouble and called for a nationwide rally on Monday to condemn “terrorist actions led by the United States and Israel,” state media reported.

Online videos purportedly showed demonstrators in Iran gathering in northern Tehran’s Punak neighbourhood. It seemed authorities had closed the streets, with protesters waving their lit mobile phones. Others banged metal while fireworks went off.

In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, purported footage showed demonstrators clashing with security forces. Protests were also reported in Kerman, 800 kilometres southeast of Tehran.

With inputs from agencies