Anti-government protest has increased across this country and protests have increased till the Indian Embassy in Tehran has already advised all Indian nationals to evacuate the country by any means possible including using commercial flights. This new alert that still falls under the previous alert of January 5, 2025, takes place after the violence had been reported everywhere, the internet was shut down and the number of people killed by the violence had been increasing. The scenario poses a major danger to the lives of the Indians residing there as there are approximately 10,000 Indians in Iran some of whom are students and pilgrims.

Iranian Protests Intensification.

Towards the end of December 2025 demonstrations broke out, and were first instigated by the collapsing Iranian economy, high inflation rates and failure to fulfill the promises of prosperity under the Islamic Republic. Demonstrations have since been used as a direct threat to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in which we can hear cries of Death to Khamenee within the Tehran neighborhoods of Bagh-e Sepahsalar and also around the Tehran University. The unrest that has been christened as the largest since the 1979 revolution has extended to smaller towns such as Saman, Sangsar, Kushk, Marvdasht and Yasuj following the calls of general strikes by such personalities as the Reza Pahlavi, the dethroned Crown Prince of Iran.

The security agencies, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij militia have responded with forceful tactics of applying lethal force, live bullets on the demonstrators. News about human rights groups suggests over 2,000 protesters have been murdered in the past few days alone with some estimates suggesting that the number of protesters murdered has been easily over 12,000 in the face of an almost total internet and phone blockade. The government accuses the United States and Israel of bringing about the mayhem, and already the incumbent President of the United States Donald Trump has emboldened the Iranians to persist with their protests and this presents the risk of foreign intervention.

​Advisory Information Embassy.

The warning is narrowly directed to students, pilgrims, businesspersons and tourists, encouraging them to get out as quickly as possible due to the evolving state of security. The nationals are urged to be cautious, not to protest in places, monitor the local media, and to ensure that they carry passports, IDs, and other immigration-related materials. UnregisteredIndians especially on resident visa are to be registered via portal of the Ministry of External Affairs, families in India are encouraged to assist where there is a hiccup in the connection.

Hotlines are available on demand, +989128109115, +989128109109 and +989128109102, and the email cons.tehran.mea.gov.in. The Embassy demands the ability to stay connected through its social media and its own location to stay updated. This is following an earlier MEA warning of avoid unnecessary travelling been increased to out and out evacuation calls.

​Broader Context and Risks

The Iranian regime is experiencing the most pressure that it has experienced in decades, as the leaderless, yet radical, nature of the protests and the extreme nature of the act of desperation by the security apparatus to put a stop to opposition is being witnessed by the observers. Embargo, graft and abuse in a pathetic condition of the economy have burnt and bread and butter issues have become anger that can topple the rule. Any threats of a potential US action by Trump have solidified Tehran will and have viewed the unrest as a broader geopolitical conflict.

Something personal is in stake with the Indians. The pilgrims of the Shia sect arrive in thousands every year with their Hubs in Lucknow and other centres and students in Tehran Universities. Energy and trade relations are business relationships that are still tense. The fact that they are incinerating vehicles, barricades and ATM shutdowns are evidence that they are crippling the day to day lives, credit cards and international calls are being hindered. Families at homes are frantically watching the videos of the clashes even in times of blackout.

​India’s Diplomatic Response

The calculated, but hawkish reaction of New Delhi is a question of priorities, first, the safety of the citizens, and then do not become a strategic partner in the West Asian region. The Embassy cautions on the need to be vigilant and follow the guidelines as it was the case during the earlier instances when Iran was at war with the rest of the globe. Registration drives have the aspect of monitoring the diaspora and this move will be the solution to evacuations in the event of a decline in commercial flights. Backchannel initiatives are emphasized by Foreign Ministers speaking, isolated by Iran counterpart calls in the recent past.

​This crisis is a test of the evacuation playbook of India which was in Ukraine and Sudan. Since there are still flights to be made but dangerous, the leave by available means directive will guarantee that in consular airlifts, the initial step will be to make it self-evacuation. The advisory is more of a life line because the protests continue until January 2026, yet both are warning and dire.

​Implications Indian and Region.

The chaos goes beyond the national boundaries of countries, yet such agreements with Chabahar ports and their oil imports undermine the ties between India and Iran. To the community of 10 000 inhabitants the exit doors are becoming closed, and the bloodshed is growing, and so is the rhetoric of the US. Individuals were making pilgrimage journeys to shrines shorter, college students were giving up semesters; merchants were acquiring property in the course of strike.

​On the local level, a long-term stalemate is looming which can be spilled down to Iraq or Gulf nations where Indian workers are extremely abundant. The promise to assist Trump is on its knees to Tehran that may bring proxies like Hezbollah. Nevertheless, the Pahlavi referendum mission can imply change but chances of survival of the regime will be favourable to crackdown.

​The cry of India wants leave, now keep safe. New Delhi is also on the alert and the humming helplines, their diplomats watching, Tehran on fire and its people is first in the cyclone.