The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has officially denied reports of a joint large-scale operation by India and the UAE to evacuate Indian nationals from the port city of Fujairah. The government on Monday issued a strong clarification after several social media posts and news reports went viral saying that the Indian Navy was being sent to bring back thousands of expatriates in the wake of escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. The MEA spokesperson said these reports were “baseless and speculative”. The security situation in the region is being monitored 24/7 and as of now there is no need for an emergency airlift or maritime evacuation, he added.
The government said that the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate in Dubai are in regular touch with the local authorities in the UAE and the Indian community. Commercial flights between India and the Emirates are still operating as per schedule, and Indian nationals in Fujairah, a major global shipping hub, are not under immediate threat, officials said. The statement said: “We urge citizens and the media to refrain from the dissemination of unverified information that will only add to unnecessary panic to the families of our diaspora.
The Centre had recently advised people against non-essential travel to some parts of West Asia, but the situation in UAE remains stable. The Indian Navy’s continued presence in the Gulf of Oman is part of the ongoing ‘Operation Sankalp’ to ensure safe passage of Indian flagged merchant vessels and is not linked to any specific evacuation mission. The government said contingency plans were always in place for any overseas crisis but at the moment the Indian community in Fujairah was safe and no extraordinary evacuation measures had been taken.
