The Ministry of External Affairs issued a fresh advisory for citizens amid renewed tensions in West Asia and fresh strikes between Iran and Israel. The MEA asked citizens to avoid travel to Iran and leave with available means of transportation, if residing in the region. The ministry reiterated its earlier advisory, urging citizens to avoid Iran.
Earlier in an advisory issued in April 2026, asking nationals to avoid movement within Iran and to the border crossings of Iran may be considered only in close coordination with the Indian Embassy in Tehran and after obtaining explicit guidance from the Embassy. The Indian Embassy remains available to guide Indian nationals in Iran through the following emergency contact helplines (+98 912 810 9115, +98 912 810 9102, +98 912 810 9109, +98 993 217 9359)
Renewed escalations in West Asia
The tensions in West Asia escalated on the intervening night of Sunday and continued on Monday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force conducted a new wave of strikes on key Israeli air installations, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Nasr,” targeted critical sections of the Nevatim and Tel Nof air bases, two of Israel’s primary aerial warfare hubs. The IRGC described the assault as a direct response to recent Israeli missile strikes that damaged Iranian radar sites at three locations.In an official statement, the IRGC said: “With trust in Almighty God, minutes ago the brave fighters of the IRGC Aerospace Force launched Operation Nasr, targeting key centres of the strategic air bases of Nevatim and Tel Nof.”
The Iranian offensive follows Israeli strikes on a major petrochemical complex in Mahshahr, in southwestern Iran. The Israeli military confirmed the attack on the energy-rich coastal site via social media, stating that further details would be released after bomb damage assessments.
This exchange comes amid a rapidly intensifying conflict. Earlier on Tuesday, air raid sirens sounded across central and southern Israel as Iranian missiles were launched toward Israeli territory. The Israeli Air Force reported that defense systems were actively intercepting the threats.
Israel’s Home Front Command issued emergency alerts directing civilians to protected spaces. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, speaking from a shelter, posted on X, “In the shelter now. Hearing loud booms overhead. Hopefully it’s the interception.” He added, “Another day we live under threat of crazed Iranian regime.”
The latest violence marks the breakdown of a fragile ceasefire that had been in place since April 8. Iran initiated the current round of strikes in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut, despite U.S. calls for restraint.
The IRGC subsequently warned of broader retaliation, stating it would target “all American and Zionist targets throughout the region,” including areas in Lebanon, the Iranian coast, and maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the Iraqi Shiite militia Kata’ib Hezbollah threatened to attack U.S. bases and interests if America intervened.
Trump has been pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show restraint. In recent interviews, he emphasized his central role in the negotiations, stating he “calls the shots” and warning that continued retaliation would perpetuate decades of violence.
“We’re very close. I would say an agreement would be signed on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of this coming week. And now this takes place,” Trump told Fox News, urging Tehran to “get back to the table and make a deal.”
Trump also spoke directly with Netanyahu after the Iranian missile launch in an attempt to prevent further escalation. He downplayed the immediate impact of the Iranian strikes, telling Axios, “The Iranian strikes didn’t hurt anybody. Hopefully Israel is not going to retaliate,” while asserting to the Financial Times that Netanyahu would ultimately have to accept the terms of a U.S.-Iran agreement.
