India Launches ‘Operation Sindhu' To Rescue Stranded Citizens From War-Hit Iran
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In the first phase, 110 Indian students were safely evacuated from northern Iran and transported overland to Armenia on June 17.
Amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, India has started 'Operation Sindhu' to evacuate its nationals stranded in war-hit region, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.
According to the MEA press release, in the first phase, 110 Indian students were safely evacuated from northern Iran and transported overland to Armenia on June 17 under the supervision of Indian Missions in Iran and Armenia. They were then flown from Yerevan on a special flight at 2:55 pm IST on June 18 and are expected to land in New Delhi in the early hours of June 19.
The statement said that the Government of India is grateful to the Governments of Iran and Armenia for the smooth facilitation of the evacuation process.
Operation Sindhu begins 🇮🇳.India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on 17th June. They departed from Yerevan on a… pic.twitter.com/8WJom7wh5f
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 18, 2025
'India accords highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. As part of the ongoing operation, the Indian Embassy in Iran has been assisting large numbers of Indian nationals in moving from areas seeing increased hostilities to relatively safer areas within the country and to subsequently evacuate them using the available and feasible options," the statement added.
The government reaffirmed that the safety of Indian nationals abroad remains a top priority, and has set up a 24×7 Control Room in New Delhi to monitor the situation and provide assistance.
The ministry said a 24×7 control room has been established in the ministry in view of the ongoing developments in Iran and Israel. The contact details of the control room are: 1800118797 (toll-free) +91-11-23012113 +91-11-23014104 +91-11-23017905 +91-9968291988 (WhatsApp) situationroom@mea.gov.in.
It said the Embassy of India in Tehran has set up a 24X7 emergency helpline, the MEA said. 'For calls only: +98 9128109115, +98 9128109109; For WhatsApp: +98 901044557, +98 9015993320, +91 8086871709; Bandar Abbas: +98 9177699036; Zahedan: +98 9396356649; cons.tehran@mea.gov.in (email)," it said.
Student Shares Ordeal
One of the rescued students, Tamheed Mughal, told News18 that while they do not have all the information, 110 of them were in Armenia and will be landing in Delhi. The student thanked the Indian government for its prompt evacuation efforts.
'We are very thankful to the Indian government," Tamheed told News18 in an exclusive conversation. 'Our university advised us to return. Right now, we are on our way back to India."
'Around 110 of us are returning to India. We will be landing in Delhi… We don't have much more information at this point," the student said.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, 110 Indian students from Urmia Medical University – 90 of them from the Kashmir Valley – safely crossed the border into Armenia and are set to land in Delhi at night.
Israel-Iran Conflict
The Middle-East is bracing for a protracted conflict following Israel's surprise bombardment of Iranian nuclear and military sites on Friday, which resulted in the deaths of several top generals and nuclear scientists. The conflict entered its sixth day today with both sides intensifying attacks and pounding strikes at each other.
Earlier today, the conflict intensified further after the hostilities continued. Explosions were heard in Tehran today as intense Israeli airstrikes again targeted Iran's capital, including Tehran's District 18 area, near the Mehrabad airport.
Loud blasts were heard and at least five columns of smoke were visible in the east and southeast regions of the Iranian capital, news agency AFP reported.
Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel of 'dire consequences" and said that Tehran will harshly retaliate against Israel's attacks.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the air force has hit more than 1,100 Iranian assets in hundreds of strikes when it launched Operation Rising Lion on June 13.
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tags :
iran
Location :
Tehran, Iran
First Published:
June 18, 2025, 21:02 IST
News india India Launches 'Operation Sindhu' To Rescue Stranded Citizens From War-Hit Iran
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