‘Avoid all unnecessary movements’: India embassy urges nationals in Iran to ‘stay vigilant’ after Israel's strikes

Israel carried out early morning strikes on Iran’s capital Friday, aiming at its nuclear facilities and heightening concerns of a potential full-scale conflict between the two longstanding regional foes.

In response, the Indian Embassy in Iran issued an advisory urging Indian nationals to remain alert and restrict their movements amid the escalating tensions.

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“In view of the current situation in Iran, all Indian nationals & persons of Indian origin in Iran are requested to remain vigilant, avoid all unnecessary movements, follow the Embassy’s Social Media accounts & observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities,” reads the advisory.

The assault came amid warnings from Israel that it would not permit Tehran to build a nuclear weapon, though it remains unclear how close the country is to achieving that.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel took “unilateral action against Iran” and that Israel advised the U.S. that it believed the strikes were necessary for its self-defence.

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“We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said in a statement released by the White House that warned Iran against targeting U.S. interests or personnel.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that his country carried out the attack, without saying what it targeted.

“In the wake of the state of Israel’s preventive attack against Iran, missile and drone attacks against Israel and its civilian population are expected immediately," he said in a statement.

Also Read: Israel unleashes horror on Iran: Women, children, top nuclear scientists killed

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he had advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay any military action while diplomatic efforts with Iran were ongoing.

“As long as I believe there’s a chance for an agreement, I don’t want them going in, because I think it would derail the talks,” Trump told reporters.

(With inputs from agencies)