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The government is closely monitoring the situation in Iran and there are no reports of any Indian national missing or killed during the recent protests, the Ministry of External Affairs informed Parliament on Thursday. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said the Indian Embassy in Tehran remains in regular contact with Indian nationals, including students, and is providing them guidance and support. Responding to questions on Indians in Iran, Singh said there are an estimated 9,000 to 10,000 Indian nationals currently residing in the country. The government does not consider them stranded as Iranian airspace is open and commercial flights are operating. “Based on current estimates, there are approximately 9,000-10,000 Indian nationals residing in Iran. The government does not consider them stranded, as Iranian airspace remains open and commercial flights are operating. The Embassy of India in Tehran is in regular contact with the community and continues to provide guidance and support,” Singh said. He said no evacuation has taken place since Operation Sindhu in June 2025. With regular flights available, Indians who wish to return have been advised to use commercial air services. The minister also said there are no reports of any Indian national being missing or killed during the recent protests. The government issued travel advisories on January 5 and January 14, urging avoidance of non-essential travel to Iran and advising Indians in the country to leave through commercial flights and remain alert, he added. On India’s diplomatic position, Singh said the government continues to closely monitor developments in Iran while the embassy assists Indian nationals as required.(With PTI inputs)

Metal major Hindustan Copper on Thursday reported a 149% jump in its December quarter consolidated net profit at Rs 156 crore compared to Rs 63 crore reported in the year-ago period. The company's revenue from operations stood at Rs 687 crore in Q3FY26, up 110% over Rs 327 crore posted in the corresponding period of the last financial year.The company declared an interim dividend of Re 1 per share for the financial year 2025-26 and has fixed Friday, February 13 as the record date for the interim dividend. The dividend will be paid only through electronic mode on or before Friday, March 6.The PAT was down 16% sequentially from Rs 186 crore reported in Q2FY26 due to a 4% decline in topline compared to Rs 718 crore in the July-September quarter of FY26.Hindustan Copper's expenses in the quarter grew around 3% sequentially to Rs 493 crore versus Rs 480 crore in Q2FY26 while surging 90 YoY compared to Rs 259 crore. For the nine-month ended December 31, 2025, the PAT grew 71% to Rs 477 crore versus Rs 278 crore in the year ago period. The revenue from operations during the period stood at Rs 1,922 crore in this period versus Rs 1,340 crore in 9MFY25. This implies a 43% YoY growth.Also read: Tata Motors PV Q3 Results: Co reports loss of Rs 3,486 crore; revenue falls 26%Hindustan Copper shares recovered from the day's low of Rs 577.60 (-6%), ending Thursday's session 0.27% lower at Rs 612 on the NSE.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)