A group of 345 Indian fisherfolk evacuated from Iran arrived in Chennai on Saturday evening after travelling via Armenia, according to media reports.
Most of those evacuated are from the southern state of Tamil Nadu and had been working in Iran. They were moved from the country’s south to its northern border before crossing into Armenia with assistance from Indian missions in Tehran and Yerevan, and then flown to India.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on social media that he appreciated the support extended by Armenia, including Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, in facilitating the evacuation.
Federal minister Piyush Goyal received the group at Chennai airport, news agency IANS reported.
Further evacuations are expected as the conflict in West Asia continues, officials told The Indian Express.
More than 1,150 Indian nationals have left Iran through land routes into Armenia and Azerbaijan since the conflict began on Feb. 28, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
On March 15, another group of 70 Indians, mostly students from Jammu and Kashmir and some pilgrims, arrived in New Delhi on a commercial flight routed through Armenia.
At the start of the conflict, around 9,000 Indian citizens were in Iran, including students, seafarers, professionals, businesspeople and pilgrims. The government has since been facilitating departures through neighbouring countries by arranging border crossings and onward travel.
The conflict escalated on Feb. 28 after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, citing security concerns. Iran has since retaliated with attacks on Israel and U.S. military positions in the region.
Tehran has also restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments, raising concerns over energy supplies. Iran maintains its nuclear programme is civilian, while Israel has said Tehran is nearing weapons capability.