With fears of a war between Iran and the United States looming large in West Asia following the assassination of Iran’s top military commander Qassem Soleimani, many Indians are leaving Iraq, Iran’s neighbouring country which had come under attack from both the U.S. and Iran.
Ashraf Nocholi, a resident of Kannur, returned home on Friday. Anticipating problems, his company sent him back to ensure his safety, he said.
“There are issues between the people and the government in Iraq. However, life is still normal, though news of escalating tension between the U.S. and Iran is being reported,” he said.
About 30 Indians were working with him in a multinational oil company at Basra in Iraq, said Ashraf, an IT engineer for the past six years. All had returned home. Other companies too were sending back foreign employees, he added.
Hopeful
Ashraf said they were hoping that the situation would not worsen and they would be able to return to Iraq. The company had asked them to wait for a few months, but if the situation worsened, it may take more time for them to return to work, he added.
He said their projects were on the verge of completion. However, many were forced to return to their countries without completing them.
If tension escalated between the U.S. and Iran, it might affect Iraq, and more Indians might return. Though the situation was not as bad as was being reported in the media, there was fear, especially after Iran launched ballistic missiles at an airbase in Iraq’s Anbar province and a military facility in Erbil on Wednesday, he said.
