Indians must be evacuated

The Iran-Israel conflict is set to continue unabated. The airstrikes have intensified. On Monday night, Iran launched a missile attack on the Israeli capital, Tel Aviv. Following this, the Israeli army launched a massive attack after warning people to evacuate three districts of Tehran. An airstrike occurred during a live broadcast at the headquarters of Iran's national television in Tehran. The resumption of the broadcast by the presenter Sahar Emami, challenging another attack, became big news in the world media. Five Indian students were reportedly slightly injured in a missile attack on the building of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

The embassy has suggested that Indians, including students in Tehran, should move to the southern city of Qom. India has a history of rescuing the largest number of expatriates by air during the Kuwait war. Many Indians, including nurses, were rescued by air during the clashes against terrorists in Iraq. However, with Iran closing its airspace, only land routes can be used to rescue Indian students and workers. Although this will take more time and carry risks, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs should start efforts for this. The majority of Indians in Iran are from Kerala.

Iran has offered all possible assistance to Indians to enter Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan through the border. Steps should also be taken to bring them to India by air from these countries. Steps should be taken to evacuate Indians as soon as possible as the intensity of the war increases with each passing day. It is estimated that around 1500 Indian students are stranded in various cities in Iran. Leading media outlets have reported that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has taken shelter in an underground bunker with his family, seeking refuge from the fear of an Israeli attack. While Israel is asking people to evacuate Tehran and Iran is asking people to evacuate Tel Aviv, the people of both countries are in a state of panic.

Israel claims to now control the entire skies of Tehran. Initial reports indicate that eight people were killed and 300 injured in the explosions that occurred in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Petah Tikva after Iran's ballistic missiles again intercepted Israel's Iron Dome air defence system. Israel has since intensified its airstrikes in Tehran. The United States, which should have intervened to end the war, is continuing to play hide and seek. India, which has good relations with the United States, Israel, and Iran, can intervene seriously to prevent this conflict from continuing indefinitely. If the war continues, its bitter experience will hit the common people of India with the increase in the prices of petrol, gas, and other essential goods. Therefore, it is better for the world that the war ends as soon as possible.