Amethi/Mainpuri: Several people, including four students, from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi are stranded in Iran following the attack on the Islamic nation by the US and Israel, police said Monday.
All those stranded are residents of Bhanauli village in the Musafirkhana area of the Amethi district, the officials said.
However, in Israel, three brothers from the Mainpuri district, who had gone to the country for work in 2024, are safe and continuing their jobs, their family members and officials said.
Several Indians, including natives of Uttar Pradesh, are currently in Israel, Iran and other parts of West Asia, with their families back home raising concerns regarding their safety amid a widening conflict in the region.
The United States and Israel targeted Iran in coordinated attacks over the weekend that killed the Islamic nation’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and dozens of other senior figures. Iran, in retaliation, fired drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations around the Gulf, and also at the global business hub of Dubai.
According to police in Amethi, four students — Kunail, 18, Syed Imam Ali, 20, Mohammad Aamir, 25, and Taraheer Fatima, 25 — along with Sadaf, 30, Musaithyab, 35, Nusrat Hussain, 55, and their families are stuck in the Iranian city of Qom.
Ali’s father, Israr, said that he had a brief conversation with his son March 1.
“He (Ai) said that we are in Qom city, but there is no talk of war right now. He then disconnected the call and since then, there has been no contact,” Israr said.
He also urged the Centre to bring back all the people stranded in Iran safely to India.
Musafirkhana SHO Vivek Singh said that the report has been sent to the higher authorities and a team are in constant touch with the families.
In Israel, the three men, Akash Jatav, 32, a resident of Gadiya Kusma Khera village in Mainpuri district, told PTI over the phone that he and his brothers, Omkar, 23, and Sonu, 37, had travelled to Israel last year to work as labourers.
“We are working normally and facing no difficulty,” Akash said, adding that they opted to work in Israel due to the attractive salaries, earning over Rs 2 lakh per month.
Their father, Sobaran Singh, while confirming the safety of his sons, said, “They are working in construction and manufacturing companies and have not reported any problem.”
Inspector Vijay Singh of the Mainpuri Local Intelligence Unit said the three men are employed as labourers in Israel and are safe.
“There is no report of any difficulty being faced by them,” he added.
As the situation deteriorates following new Iranian strikes in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, India is constantly monitoring the developments primarily in the context of the safety and security of its diaspora of around nine million in West Asia.
Since Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held phone conversations with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman and King of Bahrain Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has reviewed the evolving situation in West Asia and expressed concern over the safety and security of the large Indian expatriate community in the region.
The committee has also directed all the departments concerned to take necessary and feasible measures to assist Indian nationals affected by the developments.
The CCS, which met on Sunday evening under the chairmanship of Modi, also underscored the importance of an early cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy.
An official statement said the CCS met to review the evolving situation in West Asia, and the meeting was briefed on the air strikes in Iran February 28 and the subsequent escalation, including attacks in several Gulf countries.
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