India is preparing to evacuate its citizens from Iran amid ongoing protests, official sources said on January 15, 2026. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) told The Hindu that the Indian Embassy in Tehran has started contacting Indian nationals to assess the scale of evacuation required. The plan calls for multiple airlift sorties between India and Iran. The evacuation plans began after a phone call on January 14, 2026, between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi to discuss the evolving situation. Indian citizens in Iran include students, pilgrims, and business professionals. They are mainly in large cities such as Qom, Tehran, and Esfahan, along with other urban centres. Communication is difficult as Iran has blacked out internet services nationwide. Some students can still connect using internet services from neighboring countries like Azerbaijan and Turkey. Officials said that evacuating people is challenging due to the need for Iranian security support, which is stretched thin managing domestic unrest. Authorities warned against spreading rumours, noting that moving many people through protest-hit areas could be risky. Iran briefly closed its airspace on January 14 but reopened it on January 15, improving chances for India to send planes to Tehran. Still, Indian officials stressed that the evacuation operation would need strong cooperation from Iranian authorities. Published January 15, 2026 at 10:25 pm IST.