As violent protests rage across Iran, India on Monday issued an advisory for citizens.
Citing "recent developments", the Ministry of External Affairs advised Indian nationals in the cash-strapped nation to avoid non-essential travel.
“Indian citizens and PIOs currently in Iran should exercise due caution, avoid areas of protests or demonstrations, and closely monitor news as well as the website and social media handles of the Embassy of India in Tehran," it stated.
The MEA also directed citizens living on resident visas to register with the Indian Embassy in Tehran.
This comes as Tehran's efforts to control the anti-government protests have failed. Iran's economy has been struggling due to prologed US sanctions and is still reeling from a 12-day war with Israel in June.
In September, the United Nations reimposed sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear programme. Iranian currency rial is now trading at 1.4 million against the one US dollar. The prices of rice, meat and essential food items have soared with inflation rate touching 40 per cent.
This has pushed people to protest against the Islamic regime in 26 of the 31 provinces. More than 990 have been arrested and at least 20 have been killed in clashes with security forces.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump warned Iran against a violently cracking down on agitators. "We are locked and loaded and ready to go," he said in a post last week.
On Sunday, he said the US will hit Iran 'very hard' of more protesters were killed. "We're watching it very closely. If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States," he added.
