The Indian Government has issued an advisory for Indian citizens regarding travel to Iran. This advisory pertains to incidents where criminal gangs have abducted Indians lured to Iran under false promises of employment. These gangs subsequently demanded ransoms for the release of the abducted individuals.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that several such incidents have recently come to light. Indian citizens have been tricked into travelling to Iran with false promises of employment or assurances of onward transfer to third countries for work. Upon arrival in Iran, these citizens were abducted by criminal gangs, and their families were contacted with ransom demands for their release.
The MEA urged all Indian citizens to exercise caution against such employment promises and proposals. The MEA clarified that the Iranian government permits visa-free entry to Indian citizens solely for tourism purposes. The Ministry warned that any agent promising visa-free entry to Iran for employment or other purposes may be colluding with criminal gangs, advising Indian citizens to avoid such offers.
Separately, the United States has announced the termination of sanctions waivers for Iran's Chabahar Port, a strategically important port located in the Gulf of Oman. This decision will negatively impact India. Chabahar Port provides India with a route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan. This US decision could harm several Indian companies.
