India is bringing back around 1,000 of its citizens, mostly students and pilgrims, from Iran under a special operation called Operation Sindhu. This decision comes after tensions rose in Iran due to recent airstrikes by Israel on June 13, including in Tehran. As a result, Iran had closed its airspace.
In a special exception for India, Iran will allow three evacuation flights to operate. These flights will be run by Iranian airlines. One flight is expected to arrive in India late Friday night, and the other two will land by Saturday afternoon. Most of the passengers were moved from Mashhad to Tehran for the evacuation.
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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has assured that all Indian nationals in Iran are safe. They also said more flights will be arranged if needed.
Students arriving in New Delhi thanked the Indian government for rescuing them from their hostels. One student, Sheikh Afsa, said, “We are happy to be home, though worried about our studies. The situation in Iran is bad, and people are scared. The Indian government helped us right from our doors — we didn’t expect this much support.”
Another student said, “In Urmia, things were calm, but other areas were dangerous. I’m thankful to the government for bringing us back safely.”
India Also Plans to Evacuate Nationals from Israel
Due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, the Indian government has also announced plans to help Indians in Israel who wish to return home. According to the MEA, people will be helped to cross the land border and then flown back to India.
The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv is making all the arrangements. Indian citizens in Israel are advised to:
- Register at: https://www.indembassyisrael.gov.in/indian_national_reg
- Contact the 24/7 control room at:
- Phone: +972 54-7520711 / +972 54-3278392
- Email: cons1.telaviv@mea.gov.in
The embassy urges all Indians in Israel to stay alert and follow safety instructions from local authorities.
The MEA stated: “The safety and security of Indian citizens abroad is a top priority. We are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to assist wherever needed.”
