A group of 345 Indian fisherfolk reached Chennai on Saturday evening after being evacuated from Iran through Armenia amid the conflict in West Asia, The Indian Express reported.
The fisherfolk, most of whom are from Tamil Nadu, had been working in Iran and were moved from the southern part of the country to its northern border. They had crossed into Armenia with support from Indian embassies in Tehran and Yerevan before boarding a flight to India.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on social media acknowledged the role of Armenia in the process, stating that he appreciated the assistance of Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Yerevan in enabling the evacuation.
Also read: Hundreds of Tamil Nadu fishermen are stuck in Iran – many of them on their boats
Union minister Piyush Goyal received the fisherfolk at Chennai airport, IANS reported.
Further evacuations are likely as the conflict in the region continues, unidentified officials told The Indian Express.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, more than 1,150 Indian nationals have exited Iran through land routes into Armenia and Azerbaijan since the war began on February 28, The Indian Express reported.
On March 15, a separate group of 70 Indians, mainly students from Jammu and Kashmir along with some pilgrims, arrived in Delhi on a commercial flight routed through Armenia.
At the onset of the conflict, an estimated 9,000 Indian citizens were in Iran, including students, seafarers, professionals, businesspeople and pilgrims. The government has since been facilitating their departures through neighbouring countries by arranging border access and supporting onward travel to India.
The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran’s action posed an existential threat to Israel. Washington acts as a guarantor of Israel’s security. Iran has retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in the region and targeting major cities in Gulf countries.
Tehran has also effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterbody connecting the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, for most international commercial vessels, triggering a global energy crisis. About 20% of global petroleum supply passes through the maritime chokepoint.
Israel has been claiming that Iran is close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, which could alter the regional security balance. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.
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