India Evacuates 345 Fishermen from War-Hit Iran via Armenia Amid West Asia Conflict

A group of 345 Indian fishermen, who were stranded in Iran amid the escalating conflict, returned to India via Armenia on Saturday. The Indian nationals arrived in Chennai. The circumstances that led to them being stranded in Iran were not immediately known; however, PM Narendra Modi had earlier said that efforts were underway to bring back the stranded fishermen in West Asia.External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for assistance in return of the Indian nationals. "Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India," Jaishankar said on social media."A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning

home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening," a government statement said. Over 1,500 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the Iran war over a month ago, reported PTI.Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, "Today is a joyous day as our brothers and sisters who were suffering in Iran are returning home to their families and their motherland. We warmly welcome all our fishermen. It is a matter of great joy that we were able to bring them back from Iran. It was a very difficult journey, they had to travel 20 hours to reach Armenia, another country."

'Provocative' Statements by Congress Risking Lives of Indians: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of making "provocative" statements about West Asia. PM Modi said that the intention is to strain India's relations with West Asian nations. "I want to say this clearly, elections will come and go, but the safety of Indians, especially those from Kerala in the Middle East, is my top priority, and I will ensure it," the PM said at an NDA rally in Thiruvalla. PM Modi said that besides the lakhs of people from Kerala working and living in the Gulf nations, there are fishermen from Goa, Tamil Nadu and other states who are stranded in Iran. "We are trying to bring them back safely. But, the Congress does not care about this. Congress is making statements that risk straining India’s relations with West Asian countries, creating unnecessary panic. This is being done only for political attacks on me," he said.(With PTI inputs)