Overview
- The Ministry of External Affairs advised Indians to avoid non‑essential travel to Iran and urged those in the country to steer clear of protest areas and monitor the Indian Embassy’s updates.
- Citizens and Persons of Indian Origin were asked to exercise due caution and, if on resident visas, to register with the Embassy of India in Tehran.
- Demonstrations that began on December 28 with shopkeeper strikes over rising prices have expanded across much of Iran, with reports of protests in a majority of provinces and dozens of cities.
- Rights groups report differing tolls, with estimates ranging from at least 16 to 20 people killed and hundreds to nearly 1,000 arrests during the unrest.
- Iran’s Supreme Leader labeled protesters “rioters,” U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran against a violent crackdown, and Indian student groups appealed for contingency plans for thousands of Indian students in Iran.