Sri Lanka, March 14 -- The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India on Saturday said that the Islamic Republic of Iran Ship (IRIS) Lavan continues to remain docked at Kochi in Kerala, while non-essential crew members departed India on a chartered flight arranged by Iranian authorities along with other stranded Iranian nationals.

Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing on the recent development in West Asia, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the flight departed from Kochi and carried non-essential members of the crew of IRIS Lavan, along with several other Iranians who were stranded in India due to widespread flight disruptions amid the conflict.

''Owing to the widespread flight disruption, several Iranians were stranded...