'Very serious, not getting much information': Shashi Tharoor flags concerns amid Iran protests, unrest

Amid rising tensions and protests in Iran, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has flagged concern and labelled the situation as “very serious”. Tharoor, who is also the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, asserted that developments in the West Asia country could intensify in the coming days.

Tharoor's remarks also come after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a warning Indians to "avoid travel to Iran" until further notice.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the Congress MP said that there is very limited information from Iran due to the internet blackout in the country.

"It looks very serious. But we are not getting much information out of Iran; the internet has been cut. All we know is what we are getting in the media and their sources are also somewhat erratic. My understanding is that things are grim in Iran. 3000 protesters have apparently been killed," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Tharoor further stated that the coming days would be critical for the Khamenei regime, which is facing "difficult circumstances".

"It looks like we will be looking at some serious developments in the next few days. It is crucial that if the regime is going to survive, it will have to survive the next few days in very difficult circumstances," he said.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday "strongly advised" Indians to avoid travel to Iran until further notice, amid rising protests and unrest across the country.

"In view of the ongoing developments in Iran, Indian nationals are once again strongly advised to avoid travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran until further notice," read the statement issued by the MEA.

The fresh warning follows an earlier advisory issued by India on January 5, amid the protests.

Iran on Wednesday, had issued a NOTAM order, marking its airspace closure. However, as per an AP report, Tehran on early Thursday extended its closure "without any explanation."

Iran previously shut its airspace during its 12-day war against Israel in June. While there are no signs of current hostilities, the closure immediately rippled through global aviation because Iran is located on a key East-West route for airlines.

Iran continues to witness unrest, with the protests entering their 20th day on Wednesday. What began as demonstrations over record inflation and the steep fall in Iran's currency has now expanded into widespread nationwide unrest, with reports of agitation across more than 280 locations.