India prepares to evacuate 10,000 nationals from protest-torn Iran, with embassy helplines active post-airspace closure. Speculation swirls on successors like Reza Pahlavi, Rouhani, amid U.S. airstrike threats.
As Iran stands on a powderkeg waiting for the final spark that could potentially lead to a regime change, plans are underway to evacuate the resident Indian citizens out of the country. Iran's theocratic regime faces severe political instability amid nationwide protests, with over 2586 protest-related fatalities and over 18000+ detentions made so far.
According to MEA sources, the Embassy of India in Tehran has started reaching out to Indian citizens to assess the logistics involved in conducting multiple airlift trips from India to Iran. Following the temporary closure of Iranian airspace on Wednesday (14th Jan 2026) and subsequently reopening it on Thursday (15th Jan 2026), there is now an increased possibility of India flying aircraft into Iran. The officials have indicated, however, that support from the Iranian authorities will be necessary for this operation to occur.
The plans were put into place for a possible evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran, after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi discussed the evolving situation over a phone call on Wednesday. An estimated 10000 Indian nationals are concentrated in a few larger urban centres, including Qom, Tehran, and Esfahan most of whom are students, pilgrims, and business professionals. The embassy has also activated four emergency helplines for Indian citizens +98 9128109115, +98 9128109109, +98 9128109102, and +98 9932179359.
As the situation in Iran has turned into a tinderbox, speculations are aboud about the possible re-emergence of some key players in Iran's political arena. These stalwarts are likely, the so called 'crown-prince' of Iran Reza Pahlavi, the former President of Iran Hasan Rouhani and a former Iranian diplomat Syed Hossain Moussavian. It's important to note here that Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran's last Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was ousted and sought refuge in the United States (and later Egypt) during the 1979 Islamic Revolution has the backing of the White House. U.S. President Trump has however expressed his doubts over his capability to garner popular support within Iran.
Moussavian has been more in favour of the regime and has formerly served as the Ambassador of Iran to Germany under the President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani from 1990 to 1997, who in turn is credited as one of the founding fathers of the Supremist regime. Seyed Hossain Moussavian has frequently been the target of Republicans and dissidents within Iran who challenged his position as a Middle-East Specialist and Nuclear Policy expert at Princeton University.
Hassan Rouhani : the seventh President of Iran from 2013 to 2021, has been speculated for a return amidst the massive upheaval, should the current regime falter. He is perceived as somewhat of a pragmatist and strong defender of the Iranian interest in global platforms.
The U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened 'very strong action' with the possibility of conducting large-scale airstrikes across Iran, if the mass execution of protesters is not put on an immediate halt. In response, Iran's leadership has declared the country "ready for war" and vowed to strike US military bases throughout the region in the event of an attack.
Early Thursday, Iran’s sudden closure of its airspace for a few hours led to flight delays and cancellations for various international airlines, including Air India and IndiGo. Three US bound Air India flights, along the Delhi-New York, Delhi-New York, and Mumbai-New York routes, were called back. The engine of one of the planes carrying passengers on the Delhi to New York flight ingested a cargo container while taxiing in low visibility conditions as it returned after landing resulting in considerable damages to the engine of the two-year-old Airbus A350 jet calling in invesrigation by the aviation safety regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The Jammu & Kashmir government has appointed Additional Resident Commissioner Anil Sharma as coordinator and liason officer with the Ministry of Education for travel facilitation of students from Jammu & Kashmir in Iran. The officer will be mandated to coordinate efforts with the Ministry of External Affairs, the government of India, and other concerned embassies and consular organizations as well as other concerned organizations for facilitating information and required interventions pertaining to safety and welfare and other matters concerning J&K citizens studying and resident in Iran.
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