New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) At least 882 Indian nationals stranded in Iran, including students, business professionals and pilgrims, are making their way back home through Azerbaijan and Armenia, with many already having arrived, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

“Several individuals do not register themselves with the Embassy. Therefore, our estimate was that there were 9,000 people. Of these, a significant number of students had returned before the hostilities began. Currently, approximately 882 Indian citizens, including students and business professionals as well as pilgrims who had travelled from here, are in the process of returning via the routes through Azerbaijan and Armenia. Some have already arrived,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi.

“Of the 284 pilgrims who had travelled there, 280 have returned; they arrived via Armenia. There are three or four others remaining, who are also expected to arrive within a day or two,” he added.

Jaiswal noted that 772 individuals crossed the Iranian land border into Armenia to return home, while the pace of activity is slower on the Azerbaijan route, with some of the 110 Indian citizens yet to return and others already back in India.

“Regarding the Armenia route: 772 individuals crossed the land border into Armenia, and they are currently making their way back from there. Some have already arrived, while others are expected to arrive in the coming days. As for the route through Azerbaijan, the pace of activity there is somewhat slower; currently, there are approximately 110 Indian citizens in Azerbaijan, some of whom have already returned, while others are expected to arrive shortly,” he mentioned.

Last week, highlighting the assistance being extended to Indian nationals in Iran, Jaiswal had said that several citizens have returned home, while support continues for those planning to leave.

The ministry had urged Indian nationals wishing to leave Iran to adhere to the advisories issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran.

“We have around 9,000 Indian nationals in Iran, including students, seafarers, businesspeople, professionals and pilgrims. Following advisories issued earlier, several Indian nationals, especially students, have already returned home. We have recently shifted several Indian nationals, including students and pilgrims who are based in Tehran, to other safer locations and cities in the country,” Jaiswal had stated last week.

“We are also assisting Indian nationals who wish to travel to Azerbaijan and Armenia and from there to take commercial flights to return home. We are assisting them with visas and border crossings. We have had several Indian nationals who have approached us, and we have helped them to cross over into Azerbaijan and Armenia and from there to take commercial flights back home,” he had further added.

–IANS

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