Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has said that the government is working with top priority to ensure the safety and possible evacuation of Nepali nationals currently residing in Israel and Iran, amid escalating conflict between the two countries.

Responding to questions raised during Monday’s House of Representatives meeting under the Appropriation Bill discussion, Deuba said that the ministry had already issued a travel advisory on June 15, urging Nepalis in both countries to remain extremely cautious.

“We have requested all Nepalis in Israel and Iran to maintain contact with our embassies and stay vigilant,” she said.

The foreign minister informed parliament that Nepali ambassadors in both countries have been instructed to coordinate closely for citizen safety. “An online portal launched on June 17 for registering details of Nepalis abroad has already recorded 885 entries, and the number continues to rise,” Deuba updated the lawmakers.

Deuba said that on June 18, with air routes closed in the region, Nepal’s embassies in the Gulf were directed to assist Nepalis willing to move to safer areas or neighbouring countries, including through the provision of online visa facilitation.

She added that the Jordanian government, via an official note dated June 19, expressed readiness to assist foreign nationals—including Nepalis—arriving at its border from Israel.

Deuba also shared that the government has requested India to help repatriate 16 Nepalis currently in Iran.

Of them, 11 are already in the process of returning home with the help of the Indian Embassy in Tehran, while the remaining five are in detention due to immigration issues. Nepal’s embassy in Doha is coordinating efforts for their release and return.

The minister further confirmed that coordination is ongoing with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and a rapid response mechanism has been set up to enable timely evacuation if needed.

“A rapid response and repatriation mechanism is being implemented with urgency,” she said, adding that diplomatic engagement is also underway for the release of Bipin Joshi, a Nepali national detained by Hamas on October 7, 2023. His whereabouts remain unknown since then.

On broader diplomatic fronts, Minister Deuba revealed that Nepal continues high-level bilateral dialogues with India and China to resolve longstanding border issues.

“Efforts to resolve the boundary issues with both neighbours are underway through established high-level mechanisms,” she told the House, stating that after a two-year gap, dialogue had recently resumed.

Deuba added that Nepal’s embassies are actively engaged in other important issues too. “In coordination with local authorities and social organisations, the embassy in New Delhi has rescued 36 Nepali nationals so far from Indian custody, with further search operations ongoing,” she said.

On economic diplomacy, Deuba underscored that her ministry is prioritising the mobilisation of knowledge, skills, and capital from the Nepali diaspora. “A dedicated division for economic diplomacy has been established, with a country-specific strategy in the works,” she stated.

Meanwhile, she also informed that the repatriation of the body of Ravi Mahato Suri—who died in a car accident in Croatia—is being facilitated through funding from the Foreign Employment Board.