They are 180 Iranian students studying in Italy, who were to arrive in Iran last Friday morning, but their flight was canceled.

Before getting on board and leaving Rome for Tehran, all the students were screened for coronavirus infection by officials from Iranian ministries of health and foreign affairs.

The first group of Iranian students, including 120 ones, arrived in Tehran last Wednesday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Saturday that all the Iranian citizens in other countries must observe healthcare protocols to return to the country. “The Ministry of Health has set a series of healthcare protocols for entering the country on these days and we have presented them to the Iranian citizens through our embassies.”

He noted, “A flight was made within this framework, however, unfortunately, the process was disrupted and certain people did not observe the protocols when they entered the country.”

Iran’s embassy in Rome issued a statement on Thursday announcing Friday’s flight to Iran was canceled due to a number of passengers’ failure to observe the healthcare protocols on Wednesday’s flight.

Mousavi said on Friday that Tehran and Rome are consulting to evacuate the Iranian students in Italy.

“We are consulting to have one flight from Rome and two from Milan to Tehran,” Mousavi explained.

He said that the Iranian students in Italy have been informed about healthcare protocols before, during and after their trip.