The first wave of Indian nationals has touched down in Delhi as of Saturday, January 17, 2026, flying out of a country that is currently a digital and physical fortress.
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The thing is, these weren’t emergency military evacuations—yet. They were regular commercial flights that managed to punch through a very thin window of open airspace. Or nothing. Let’s be real, while the government says things are “moving toward normalcy,” the stories from the people landing at IGI Airport tell a much messier story. Those too. We’re talking about a total internet blackout that has lasted over a week and a protest movement that has reportedly cost nearly 3,000 lives in just fourteen days.
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The “Tehran-Delhi” Log: Field Notes
It’s an ongoing situation where 9,000 Indians are still looking for a way out while the Iranian regime and the Trump administration play a high-stakes game of chicken.
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The “Invisible” War: One MBBS student who landed today said she never actually saw a protest. The thing is, the regime has been so efficient with the internet blackout that people in one neighborhood have no idea the next one is on fire. Those too.
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The “Car Trap”: Other returnees weren’t so lucky. One man described protesters swarming his car, and with the internet dead, he couldn’t even use GPS to find a safe route or call the embassy for help. And here’s the kicker—the embassy’s registration process is crawling because nobody in Iran can get online to fill out the forms.1
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The “Trump” Factor: Tensions spiked when Trump threatened “grave consequences” if executions continued.2 The thing is, the White House now claims those executions were “halted,” which is why the airspace briefly flickered back to life for these flights.3
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The “Leave Now” Order: The MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) just issued an unprecedented “Leave by any means” advisory.4 The thing is, they aren’t just suggesting it anymore; they are telling students and pilgrims to use ferries to the UAE or land crossings into Armenia.5
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Iran Crisis: Indian National Status (Jan 17, 2026)
| Category | Data / Status | The Ground Reality |
| Total Indians in Iran | ~9,000 | Majority are students and pilgrims in Qom/Mashhad. |
| Communication | Total Blackout | No global internet; only one-way state SMS active. |
| Flight Status | Intermittent | Air India/IndiGo rerouting; airfares have tripled. |
| MEA Advisory | “Exit Immediately” | Use any available route (Commercial/Land/Sea). |
| Casualty Reports | ~2,600 – 3,400 | Varying reports from HR groups vs. State media. |
And Here’s the Kicker…
The timing for these returnees couldn’t be weirder. The thing is, they escaped a “violent” crisis in Iran only to land in a “severe” environmental crisis in Delhi.6 Those too.
It’s an ongoing situation where the dense fog and AQI of 400+ at IGI Airport are actually causing more delays for the remaining “rescue” flights than the Iranian military is. The thing is, several incoming planes from the Gulf are currently circling over Jaipur because they can’t see the runway in Delhi. It’s a literal out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire situation.
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