Kathmandu, March 20: The Nepalese government confirmed on Friday that Iranian authorities have detained a Nepali citizen working on a vessel in the Hormuz Strait. This incident comes amid escalating tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The detained individual, Amrit Jha, was taken into custody as Iran closed the typically busy maritime route of the Hormuz Strait, through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil is transported. Millions of Nepali citizens reside in West Asia, many of whom are migrant workers in Gulf countries. The deteriorating situation in the region has raised significant concerns for Nepal regarding the safety of its citizens, especially as Iran retaliates following joint attacks by the U.S. and Israel.
Ramkaji Khadka, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ West Asia Department, stated at a press conference, “Amrit Jha, who was working on a ship in the Hormuz Strait, was detained when Iranian armed forces took control of the vessel and its entire crew.”
The confirmation of Jha’s detention came after his family informed Nepali officials. According to the ministry, since the outbreak of war on February 28, one Nepali citizen has died in various countries in West Asia, and 30 others have sustained minor injuries.
The Nepalese government has already confirmed the death of Nepali youth Divas Shrestha from the western district of Gorkha, who died during a drone interception operation at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport.
The ministry noted that there are no signs of an imminent end to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Meanwhile, at least 6,000 Nepali citizens residing and working in the region have applied to return home due to safety concerns.
Official figures indicate that over 1.7 million Nepalis live across 12 countries in this region. Lok Bahadur Paudel Chhetri, spokesperson for the ministry, mentioned that of the 82,100 Nepali citizens who updated their details in the online rescue tracking system launched by the ministry, approximately 6,000 have requested assistance to return home.
The ministry’s Consular Services Department initiated this online registration system to gather information on Nepali citizens amid the U.S.-Iran conflict and assess their assistance needs.
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