India, Nov. 18 -- Iran has suspended the visa waiver facility for ordinary Indian passport holders amid reports of Indian nationals being lured to the country on false promises of employment or assurances of onward transit to other countries, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Monday.

In a statement, the MEA said that the government's attention has been drawn to several incidents where Indian nationals have been lured to Iran on the fake pretext of jobs or further transit to third nations.

The ministry noted how several Indians were tricked into travelling to Iran by using the visa waiver facility and upon their arrival in the country, many of them were kidnapped for ransom.

Accordingly, the MEA said, the Iranian government ...