India now battles the task of safeguarding the lives of almost 10 million Indians working across several countries in West Asia as the US-Israel and Iran crisis deepens. For now, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have, over the past 24 hours, provided separate assurances to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on ensuring the safety of the Indian community — largely workers.Meanwhile, India has not taken a decision on evacuation of its citizens from West Asia as the air space is closed and a sea route exit would be impossible. “Indians in Israel are free to cross over to neighbouring Jordon using the land route,” said officials reminding that the land route was used when similar crisis arose in June 2025.For Indians in Iran, some 10,000 in number, an advisory was issued last Monday asking them to leave the country by any means. In June last year, Indians were evacuated from Iran using the land route to Armenia.Today, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking evacuation of around 1,200 Kashmiri students from Iran.Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday said the Centre was making continuous efforts to ensure the safe return of Indians. He described the situation as “volatile”.Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also expressed deep concern over the escalating crisis in the Gulf. In a letter to Modi, Vijayan highlighted the anxiety among families of expatriates, particularly in Kerala.The Ministry of External Affairs, while addressing the issue of safety of Indians, has said all its missions in the region are in touch with Indian nationals and have issued appropriate advisories asking them to remain vigilant, stay in contact with the missions and follow local security guidance.Separately, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has postponed Class X and Class XII board examinations scheduled for March 2 in select countries. The postponement applies to CBSE-affiliated schools in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday advised all foreign nationals in India, whose travel plans have been disrupted by the escalating crisis in West Asia, to approach the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) for assistance with visa extensions or to regularise their stay. The advisory, issued on March 1, said the FRROs concerned would facilitate the necessary formalities on a case-by-case basis. “Contact details are available on the Bureau of Immigration website,” the ministry said, urging affected individuals to seek timely assistance to avoid overstaying.International carriers have suspended, rerouted or delayed flights due to the closure of sensitive air corridors. Key transit hubs in the Gulf, including Dubai, have faced disruptions as airlines avoid conflict-affected airspace.