Amid escalating tensions in West Asia, India has relaxed its travel advisory for citizens traveling to Iran and Israel, keeping recent developments in the aviation sector policies in mind. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randeep Jaiswal shed light on this, stating that both countries have “opened their airspace for several days now.” Responding to a media query on the travel advisory for Iran and Israel, Jaiswal advised Indian citizens to remain cautious while traveling to these countries and to stay in contact with Indian embassies.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in the region. We have also observed that Iran and Israel have opened their airspace for several days now. We advise Indian citizens to remain cautious while traveling to these countries and to stay in contact with Indian embassies,” he commented.
This advisory, issued today, comes amidst heightened tensions between Iran and Israel, which began with the reported Israeli air strikes on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus on April 1. The attack resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, including Brigadier General Mohammad Reza, from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In retaliation, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel on April 13.
Prior to Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel, the advisory issued on April 12 had referred to the current tension and urged all Indians to refrain from traveling to Iran or Israel until further notice. It also advised Indians residing in these countries to register themselves with Indian embassies and exercise extreme caution for their safety.
In addition to issuing the advisory, India has directly informed both Iran and Israel of its concerns regarding the situation in West Asia. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar conveyed India’s message during separate phone calls with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
Iran Imposes Sanctions On US, UK Entities Over Israel Support
Furthermore, Iran has imposed bans on American and British individuals and institutions in support of Israel. These bans were announced on Thursday through a statement from Iran’s Foreign Ministry, targeting seven American and British officials and institutions, including military commanders and defense companies. According to AFP, the sanctions include freezing accounts and transactions in Iranian financial and banking systems, as well as confiscating assets within Iran’s jurisdiction. The report also stated that issuing visas and entry into Iranian territory for approved individuals and institutions have been banned.
Based on official Israeli figures reported by AFP, hostilities between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, after Palestinian Hamas operatives attacked Israelis, resulting in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians. Iran has expressed support for Hamas but denied direct involvement in the attacks.
