India confirms three nationals missing in Iran, seeks Tehran’s assistance

India announced on Friday that three of its nationals who traveled to Tehran for business have gone missing.

The Indian Ministry of External Affair said it has formally requested assistance from the Islamic Republic to locate the missing individuals.

"Three Indian nationals who had gone to Iran for business purposes, they are missing. We are in touch with their families. We have taken up the matter with the Iranian Embassy in Delhi and with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly briefing.

Jaiswal said the Indian Embassy in Tehran is in touch with local officials to make sure about the missing people's safety.

According to Indian media, 33-year-old Yogesh Panchal arrived in Tehran on December 5 but lost contact with his family two days later. Mohammad Sadeeque also traveled to Iran in December, while Sumeet Sud entered the country in January.

Past cases have seen Indian nationals detained in Iran, often as crew members aboard foreign vessels held in Iranian waters. Over the years, Iranian intelligence arrested many foreigners and kept them as de facto hostages, according to Amnesty International and other human rights groups.

Iran’s foreign ministry has yet to comment on the situation.