After Attacks On US Military Bases, MEA Issues Travel Advisory, Asks Indians In Iraq To Be Alert

In view of the heightened tension after Iran attacked US military bases in Iraq, Indian on Wednesday issued a travel advisory for its citizens asking them to avoid all non-essential travel to Iraq until further notification. “Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Iraq until further notification. Indian nationals residing in Iraq are advised to be alert and may avoid travel within Iraq. Our Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate in Erbil will continue to function normally to provide all services to Indians residing in Iraq,” the advisory reads.

"Our Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate in Erbil will continue to function normally to provide all services to Indians residing in Iraq," the advisory reads.

According to reports, the government has asked all Indian carriers to avoid the airspace of Iran, Iraq and the Gulf following tension in the region.

Meanwhile, Iran has threatened to bomb Israel and Dubai if the United States retaliates for its ballistic missile strike that slammed into an Iraqi airbase where the US and coalition forces are based. Iran's Revolutionary Guard in a statement carried by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said, “We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted.”

Guard also threatened to bomb Dubai and Haifa in Israel if US retaliates, Daily Mail reported.

The attack on military bases came hours after leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened on Tuesday to "set ablaze" places supported by the United States. Hossein Salami made the pledge before a crowd of thousands gathered in a central square in Kerman, the hometown of the slain Gen Qassem Soleimani.

Qasem Soleimani, the popular head of the Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm, was killed in a US drone strike outside Baghdad airport on Friday, ratcheting up tensions between the arch-foes.

Iran while defending the attack said, all the measures were taken in self-defence. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said, “Iran took and concluded proportionate measures in self-defence under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched.”