India Says It Is Still Facilitating Life-Saving Medicines for Iran Despite Flight Disruptions; Report Says Direct Flights Are Blocked

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a briefing in New Delhi that India remains in touch with Iranian authorities to facilitate the transport of life-saving medicines as a humanitarian gesture. A separate report, citing The Wire, says Iranian aircraft have not received clearance since early August — a claim the MEA statement did not directly address.

Awaaz Punjab Investigations Desk23 October 20263 min readRead in all 3 languages

India continues to facilitate the transport of life-saving medicines to Iran as a humanitarian gesture despite flight disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in the region, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday, ANI and IANS both reported from New Delhi.

Source: ANI via Apna MA TV Channel

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing a bi-weekly media briefing, said: “We continue to facilitate transport of life-saving medicines to Iran. As you are aware, the ongoing conflict in the region has posed new challenges to the flight connectivity between our two countries. We continue to be in communication with our Iranian counterparts to facilitate the transportation of life-saving medicines as a humanitarian gesture.”

Source: IANS via hi INDiA

A separate report presented a different picture of the practical position. Madhyamam Online, citing a report by The Wire, said India has stopped granting Iranian aircraft permission to fly in and collect medicines since early August, reportedly over concern that facilitating direct flights could expose Indian entities to US sanctions, leaving urgently needed supplies stranded. According to that report, Tehran has continued to seek direct flights while New Delhi has proposed an alternative route through Armenia or Azerbaijan, with medicines transported overland into Iran. These are reported claims, not statements confirmed by the MEA in Friday's briefing.

Source: Madhyamam Online, citing The Wire

The MEA briefing also noted recent high-level contact between the two sides. On Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, ANI reported. Earlier this month, on October 12, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval raised the safety and security of Indian seafarers and tankers in a telephone conversation with Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the reports said.

Source: ANI via Apna MA TV Channel

What is established is the MEA's stated position — that facilitation and communication with Tehran continue. Whether direct Iranian medicine flights are currently being cleared is contested between that statement and the reported account, and Awaaz Punjab will update this story if the MEA or Iranian authorities clarify the flight position.

Sources

ANI — India continues to facilitate transport of life-saving medicines to Iran despite flight disruptions (https://apnamatvchannel.com/world/india-continues-to-facilitate-transport-of-life-saving-medicines-to-iran-despite-flight-disruptions/)

IANS — same MEA briefing (https://hiindia.com/india-continues-to-facilitate-transport-of-life-saving-medicines-to-iran-despite-flight-disruptions/)

Madhyamam Online citing The Wire — India blocks Iranian medicine flights fearing US sanctions: report (https://madhyamamonline.com/india/india-blocks-iranian-medicine-flights-fearing-us-sanctions-report-1565720)