logo
Nepal, Sri Lanka thank India for evacuating their nationals from Iran

Nepal, Sri Lanka thank India for evacuating their nationals from Iran

New Delhi, June 21 (UNI) Nepal and Sri Lanka today thanked India for evacuating their nationals from Iran, amid the escalating Iran-Israel conflict.
Nepalese Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba expressed gratitude in a post on X:
'Thank you @DrSJaishankar for India's swift assistance in helping to evacuate Nepali nationals from Iran.
'India's support in Nepal's evacuation efforts is a reflection of strength of Nepal- India ties.'
The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry in a post also expressed its thanks.
'Sri Lanka extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of India for the timely assistance to evacuate Sri Lankan nationals from Iran alongside Indian citizens.
'This act of solidarity exemplifies the strong and enduring partnership between Sri Lanka and India, and is deeply appreciated by the people of Sri Lanka.'
Earlier in the day, the Indian Embassy in Tehran said it will help in the evacuation of Nepali and Sri Lankan nationals from Iran, after the Nepalese and Sri Lankan governments approached India for help.
On Saturday evening, an evacuation flight from Iran arrived in New Delhi, with 310 Indian nationals on board, taking the number of Indians evacuated to 827 so far, under Operation Sindhu. Another flight is expected to arrive later tonight.
UNI RN

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Homeward bound: City prof starts 1.5k km journey to Mashhad to escape from Iran
Homeward bound: City prof starts 1.5k km journey to Mashhad to escape from Iran

Time of India

time22 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Homeward bound: City prof starts 1.5k km journey to Mashhad to escape from Iran

Kolkata: It is a race against time for geography professor Falguni Dey to travel from Astara to Mashhad, through the war-ravaged Iran, where India has already started an evacuation operation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It'll be a 1,500 km, 22-hour long journey to Mashhad from where Dey is currently camping now. Hopeful of getting entry through the Nurduz-Agarak border to Armenia, which has allowed hundreds of Indians to cross the border and head back home, Dey had applied for an e-visa with the country. On Friday late evening, Armenia declined his visa application, leaving Dey hapless and desperate. Azerbaijan, which has also been allowing foreign nationals, kept silent on his application as well. Desperate to escape Iran, Dey called up an official at the Indian embassy in Tehran on Friday night. "He suggested I reach Mashhad somehow as the Indian authorities have already started evacuating from there. There is no other way out for me. It is going to be nearly a 1,500 km journey from the northwest of Iran to the west of the country," Dey told TOI over phone. India launched Operation Sindhu earlier this week to evacuate Indians stranded in Iran after Tehran agreed to lift airspace restrictions as a "special gesture". During the evacuation operation, India evacuated 517 nationals from Iran by Saturday morning. Mashhad is close to Iran's border with Turkmenistan, and India started evacuating through a safe air corridor. Virtually penniless, Dey, on Friday night, approached a car driver who agreed to take him on the arduous and dangerous route to Mashhad. "I told him that I can transfer the amount to his bank account only when I am back in India. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He thought for a brief moment and agreed to take me to Mashhad. He was like a Godsend to me, ready to take a stranger on a 1,500 km journey with just an assurance to be paid later," he said. The 600km stretch from Tabriz in northwest Iran to Tehran was severely damaged after Israeli missile attacks. Drones, quadcopters, and spike-guided missiles bombed large parts of the country. Vibrant and noisy Tehran and the adjoining areas have transformed into abandoned streets amid an eerie silence. "We will try to bypass Tehran. We are not sure if there will be a fresh phase of attack," said Dey. While the internet is cut off in large parts of Iran, Mashhad still has connectivity. "I will be able to receive and send documents only when I am in Mashhad. I hope it will be a little better among many other Indians."

Afghan dry fruit traders concerned over continued closure of Attari-Wagah border
Afghan dry fruit traders concerned over continued closure of Attari-Wagah border

United News of India

time26 minutes ago

  • United News of India

Afghan dry fruit traders concerned over continued closure of Attari-Wagah border

Kabul, June 21 (UNI) The closure of the Attari–Wagah border crossing, one of Afghanistan's key trade routes to India, has raised serious concerns among dried fruit exporters of Afghanistan. The Kabul Dry Fruit Exporters Union has warned that stopping freight truck movement on this route could severely disrupt both fresh and dried fruit exports, Tolo News reported. The union has urged Pakistani and Indian authorities to reopen the route permanently for Afghan cargo trucks. Khalid Rahmani, spokesperson for the union, told TOLOnews, 'We hope alternative links through Wagah and Chabahar ports will open soon. Given the current political and trade tensions between Pakistan and India, we predict a decline in exports to both countries.' After the Indian and Pakistani military tensions eased, the border reopened briefly on May 9, allowing about 162 trucks to pass, but it was shut again. At least 12 Afghan export trucks remain stuck at the crossing. With the fruit harvest season approaching, traders warn that continued closure could pose major challenges for Afghan exports. They are calling for diplomatic engagement to reopen this critical trade route. Omid Haidari, head of international relations at the Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock, said: 'We urge the leadership of the Islamic Emirate, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to strengthen contact with the Indian Foreign Ministry so that our major trade route can be reopened.' Merchant Mahboobullah Mohammadi, said, 'Our biggest export is dried fruit, especially pine nuts, which we mostly send to India via Wagah. But the decline in exports this year has brought significant losses. Our air corridors are still shut, and large amounts of pine nuts remain unsold in local markets.' The Wagah border was closed after tensions escalated between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India, on April 22. The closure of the land border check post continues to cast a shadow over Afghanistan's regional trade. UNI ANV RN

FATF flags Pakistan bid to ship in missile gear from China on sly
FATF flags Pakistan bid to ship in missile gear from China on sly

Time of India

time40 minutes ago

  • Time of India

FATF flags Pakistan bid to ship in missile gear from China on sly

(AI image created using ChatGPT) NEW DELHI: A new report by Financial Action Task Force has flagged Pakistan's attempts to procure equipment for its missile programme by mislabeling shipment, drawing attention to the country's failure in implementing measures to combat financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which is one of the recommendations of the global watchdog. The report not only reveals that critical components for ballistic missiles originating from China were mislabeled in documents but also links the importer to Pakistan's National Development Complex which handles missile production. India is likely to use the revelations in its dossier to make another push for Pakistan's return to the FATF 'grey list' which identifies countries with weaknesses in their anti-money laundering and terror financing systems. These countries are subjected to closer monitoring and must demonstrate progress on corrective action plans. Pakistan has been on the list three times with the most recent sanction of 2018 lifted in 2022. In Feb 2020, a Chinese vessel named 'Da Cui Yun', which was en route to Port Qasim in Karachi, was intercepted at Gujarat's Kandla port. While the equipment was seized, the ship and its crew were allowed to leave after investigation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo In its latest report titled 'Complex Proliferation Financing and Sanctions Evasion Schemes', FATF refers to the investigation by Indian Customs. "Indian authorities confirmed that documents mis-declared the shipment's dual-use items. Indian investigators certified the items for shipment to be 'autoclaves', which are used for sensitive high energy materials and for insulation and chemical coating of missile motors," it read. "The sensitive items are included in dual-use export control lists of the Missile Technology Control Regime, India, and other jurisdictions. The Bill of Loading of the seized cargo provided evidence of the link between the importer and National Development Complex," it added. FATF may release the report next month amid hopes in India that it would expose Pakistan's inadequacies in combating terror financing - something which could potentially result in the country being placed under enhanced monitoring, and being returned to 'grey list'. This move would subject Pakistan to increased financial scrutiny, impacting foreign investment and capital inflows. India has been pushing for Pakistan's return to the list, citing its brazen support for terrorism and failure to comply with FATF norms.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store