Collaborating with Iran to set up screening process for evacuating Indians stranded due to COVID-19: Jaishankar

Assuring the government is working to evacuate Indians stranded in Iran amid coronavirus outbreak, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said New Delhi is collaborating with Tehran to set up a screening process for return of Indians.

Iran has reported 54 deaths from coronavirus -- the most outside of China -- while as many as 987 people have been infected from the virus, the country's Health Ministry said, as reported by the IRNA.

"Working on the issue of Indians in Iran anxious to return due to #COVID19. Have seen many tweets in this regard. We are collaborating with the Iranian authorities to set up a screening process for return of Indians," tweeted Jaishankar.

"Am asking our Ambassador @dhamugaddam to keep all those concerned updated of the progress. Am also tracking this personally," he said in a following tweet.

India had on Thursday temporarily suspended all flights from Iran as the country struggles to control the spread of the virus.

Several political leaders have urged Jaishankar to ensure the return of Indian nationals. Earlier in the day, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to Jaishankar, urging him to direct Indian embassy officials in Iran to take necessary steps for the evacuation of more than a hundred Indian fishermen. A similar request was made by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

First detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year, coronavirus has spread to more than 45 countries across the world, including India.