NEW DELHI June 21: A total of 517 Indian nationals have been safely evacuated from Iran under Operation Sindhu, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Friday, as tensions continue to rise between Iran and Israel.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced that a special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, landed in New Delhi at 3:00 AM on June 21, bringing home another batch of Indians from the conflict-affected region. “Operation Sindhu continues. A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, landed in New Delhi at 0300 hrs on 21st June, bringing Indians from Iran home. With this, so far 517 Indian nationals from Iran have returned,” Jaiswal posted on X.
The operation was launched in response to the deteriorating security situation following the outbreak of hostilities on June 13, when Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion” targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites. In retaliation, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards initiated “Operation True Promise 3,” striking Israeli energy infrastructure, which escalated regional tensions.
The Indian Embassy in Tehran, in coordination with the MEA, has been actively working to facilitate the safe return of students, pilgrims, and other Indian citizens stranded in Iran. The embassy ensured logistics and local arrangements while the MEA oversaw the broader evacuation process.
Several evacuees expressed immense relief and gratitude upon arriving in India. Zaffar Abbas Naqvi, who was evacuated along with his family, described the sequence of events: “We had initially stayed indoors after hearing about the attack on Iran and later moved to Mashhad as the situation worsened. We then contacted the Indian government. The action was so swift that we cannot express our gratitude in words.” He extended thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for their support.
Kulsum, another evacuee, shared her experience: “The situation in Iran is not good. We were very worried. The government helped us a lot and brought us back home safely.”
Mohammad Ali Qazim, who had traveled to Mashhad on a religious pilgrimage, also thanked the Indian authorities for their timely intervention and safe repatriation.
Earlier this week, the first group of 110 Indian students — including 90 from Kashmir — was evacuated from northern Iran. They were first moved to Armenia and then flown back to India as part of the multi-phase operation.
The MEA affirmed that Operation Sindhu will continue until every Indian citizen who wishes to return from Iran is safely brought home.
