New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) In the backdrop of the escalating West Asia conflict, Iran on Friday night arranged a chartered flight from Kochi to evacuate its citizens stranded in India, including the non-essential crew of the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Lavan, currently docked at the Kochi port.
Giving the information, during an inter-ministerial briefing held in the national capital today, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the flight carried several stranded Iranian nationals along with members of the vessel’s crew who were not required to remain onboard.
“Owing to the widespread flight disruption, several Iranians were stranded in India. The Iranian authorities arranged chartered flights to take back these stranded nationals,” he said.
“The flight took off from Kochi and also included the non-essential members of IRIS Lavan, which remains docked in Kochi,” he added.
The Iranian naval vessel had earlier arrived in Kochi after experiencing technical problems during its regional deployment. The ship had participated in the International Fleet Review 2026, held from February 15 to 25, and was also present in the region for MILAN 2026.
According to officials, the Iranian side approached India on February 28 seeking urgent docking assistance after the vessel developed technical issues. Approval for docking was granted on March 1 and the ship subsequently docked at Kochi on March 4.
The request for support came days before the sinking of another Iranian vessel, IRIS Dena, which was reportedly struck by a US submarine torpedo about 20 nautical miles west of Galle on March 4.
“Since the outbreak of this conflict, besides calling for de-escalation and addressing all issues through dialogue, India has continually emphasised that one of its priorities is to ensure the unimpeded transit of goods and energy,” he said.
He added that New Delhi has also stressed the importance of protecting civilian infrastructure, including energy installations, warning that disruptions could have global repercussions.
India, he said, has been actively engaging with key regional and global players to safeguard maritime routes and energy flows.
“In the process, the concerns of shipping lines were also addressed. As a result of multiple contacts, some ships destined for India have been able to cross through the Strait of Hormuz,” Jaiswal said.
On diplomatic consultations within the BRICS grouping, Jaiswal said differences among member states have complicated efforts to evolve a common position on the crisis. “Some members of BRICS are directly involved in the current situation in the West Asia region, which has impacted forging a consensus on a common BRICS position on the ongoing conflict,” he said.
“In the last several days, our External Affairs Minister has had conversations with leaders across the world. He also had a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the ongoing conflict in West Asia,” Jaiswal said.
Later, Aseem Mahajan, Additional Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “We have five Indians who have lost their lives and one who is missing in earlier incident. Our missions in Oman, Iraq, UAE remain in touch with the concerned authorities regarding the missing Indian national and for early repatriation of mortal remains of the deceased after completing requisite formalities.”
He said Indian diplomatic missions across the Gulf region are functioning continuously to provide support to citizens affected by the conflict.
Mahajan added that assistance is also being extended to Indian seafarers in the region, with the MEA coordinating closely with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
“All support is being rendered to the seafarers in the region and the MEA is in close coordination with the Ministry of Ports and Shipping,” he said.
Providing details on evacuation arrangements, Mahajan said Indian nationals stranded in countries where direct flights are currently suspended are being provided with alternative travel options.
“For places such as Bahrain and Kuwait, from where direct flights are not operating, the Indian nationals are being assisted with visa extensions and transit visas for their journey to India via Saudi Arabia,” he said.
