Indian Students Safely Evacuated from Iran Amid Conflict

21st June 2025 at 9:10 AM

1 minute read

Iran has made an exception to its ongoing airspace closure amid cross-border hostilities with Israel, allowing evacuation flights for Indian nationals stranded in the country.

New Delhi: A flight carrying 290 Indian students, predominantly from Jammu and Kashmir, touched down at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport late Friday night, marking a significant step in India’s evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu. The operation, launched by the Indian government, aims to bring its citizens home from Iran as tensions escalate in the region due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.

The students, mostly pursuing medical studies, were airlifted from Mashhad, Iran, after Iran granted special permission to open its airspace exclusively for India’s evacuation flights. This decision came as a response to the worsening security situation in the region, prompting swift action from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The ministry coordinated closely with the Indian Embassy in Tehran to ensure the safe extraction of the students.

The group endured a challenging journey, with many traveling from northern Iranian cities to Armenia before boarding the flight from Yerevan. Of the evacuees, 260 are from Jammu and Kashmir, while the remaining hail from states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Delhi. The operation reflects India’s commitment to the safety of its citizens abroad, with additional evacuation flights scheduled to bring back approximately 1,000 more students stranded in conflict-affected Iranian cities over the next two days.

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Indian Embassy played a pivotal role in organizing the evacuation, arranging transportation and logistics to move students out of harm’s way. The first batch’s arrival in Delhi was met with relief, as students expressed gratitude for the government’s efforts. “The Indian Embassy helped us a lot. Thank you,” one student told upon landing.

Operation Sindhu is expected to continue as the government monitors the evolving situation in the Middle East, ensuring the safe return of all Indian nationals affected by the conflict.