
'Considers Everyone As Family': Indians Evacuated From Iran Hail PM Modi Over Op Sindhu
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India on Sunday evacuated over 300 nationals from Iran amid US-Iran tensions.
As tensions flare up in West Asia, compounded by United States' Operation Hammer against Iran, India on Sunday evacuated over 300 nationals as a part of its Operation Sindhu.
The Indian nationals, evacuated from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu, landed at Delhi airport on Sunday and hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts in rescuing the citizens from conflict zones.
Speaking to news agency ANI, an evacuated person named Fazal Abbas praised PM Modi for rescuing them and bringing them back home. Originally from Lucknow, Abbas lauded the PM saying now he is convinced that the BJP leaders actually 'considers everyone as his family member."
'I am from Lucknow. I am feeling very good. We used to hear that PM Modi considers everyone as his family member. I am convinced about this today. He rescued us from the corners of Iran and brought us back home…," ANI quoted Abbas as saying.

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Mint
24 minutes ago
- Mint
Is a ‘regime change' in Iran possible? What happens if Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed?
US President Donald Trump hinted at a "regime change" in Iran just hours after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday, 'This mission [US attacking Iran's nuclear sites] was not and has not been about regime change.' The idea of killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also surfaced during the Iran-Israel conflict. It was said that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the Iranian Supreme Leader, but the US President later claimed Khamenei was an "easy target" but would not be killed, "at least for now". This left the door open for a discussion of what exactly President Trump meant by "regime change." Meanwhile, Israel, which is in conflict with Iran, has not ruled out killing Khamenei. Last week, Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said of Khamenei: 'This man absolutely should not continue to exist.' Cambridge dictionary defines a 'regime change' as a complete change of government, especially one brought about by force. Meanwhile, Britannica says a regime change refers to the overthrow of a government considered illegitimate by an external force and its replacement with a new government according to the ideas or interests promoted by that force. Simply put, a change of regime means forming a new government. In case of Iran, a regime change would require Israel or the US having a figure in mind to replace Khamenei and send troops to the country, Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC, told CNN. A delay in choosing the new Supreme Leader could fuel another possibility for a regime change in Iran. Iran's government is a unique hybrid system which has elements of a theocracy and a republic. The Supreme Leader is at the top of Iran's power structure. He is "the guardian jurist who is effectively Iran's leader for life," the CRF explained. The president is the second-highest-ranking official in Iran. Particularly, Khamenei, the 86-year-old cleric, has ruled Iran for more than 35 years as its highest authority, rising to power a decade after the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew a US-backed monarch. So, what will happen if Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dies? Will his death lead to a regime change? Khamenei can be replaced by a new leader, but changing the regime itself is likely to trigger unrest in the Islamic Republic. Choosing a leader on time may not necessarily lead to a "regime change" in Iran. After US strikes in Iran, The New York Times, citing sources, reported that Khamenei has chosen three successors as his replacement in case military commanders die in Israeli strikes. However, the US reportedly fears that Iran could get "somebody worse than Khamenei," a source told the New York Post. Experts reportedly said that if the Supreme Leader is killed and the Guardian Council delays naming a successor, the risk of instability could grow. Parsi from Quincy Institute in Washington also warned that "a possible outcome of Khamenei's potential killing is total regime collapse." One possible scenario is Iran's various ethnic groups vying for power after Khamenei's death. Experts say that any attempt at regime change in Iran risks collapsing the state altogether – "a scenario that could splinter Iran and send shockwaves across the Middle East," CNN reported. Earlier, The Telegraph reported that Khamenei's death could create a vacuum at the heart of the government that might trigger internal strife and civil unrest. This is because Khamenei's death is likely to create opportunities for Iran's ethnic minority groups to rise up. Reports suggest that separatist groups who have long opposed the Islamic Republic may seek to take advantage of what they may see as an opportunity. This could "potentially ignite local conflicts that could spiral into a broader civil war." If Iran's regime falls, 'there would be support for ethnic separatist groups by the Israelis, and perhaps the US,' Parsi said. This would lead to a situation where remnants of the state are going to be consumed with fighting separatists. Another possibility is "military intervention", which "rarely leads to democratisation," Hamed Mousavi, associate professor of International Relations at the University of Tehran, told CNN. "Military factions that could take over are 'not going to be the type of regime that the US may have had in mind,' Parsi said. "They are unlikely to seek diplomatic routes with Israel or the US, but could take a more hawkish approach that sees possession of a nuclear bomb as the only deterrent to more attacks," Parsi said.


Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Evacuated from our dormitory: Indian students share what it took to escape Iran
Evacuated students express gratitude to Indian government amid Iran-Israel conflict. (PTI Photo) Amid the conflict between Iran and Israel, thousands of Indian and Sri Lankan nationals — many of them students — have been successfully evacuated under the Indian government's Operation Sindhu. The operation was initiated after Israel launched 'Operation Rising Lion' on June 13, 2025, targeting Iranian military and nuclear installations, heightening fears of widespread regional instability. Operation Sindhu, which began on June 18, 2025, has so far facilitated the return of 2,295 Indians from Iran. A day earlier, on June 17, another flight brought back 290 Indian nationals and one Sri Lankan national from Mashhad. With Iran's airspace initially closed, the evacuation was first carried out via land routes to Armenia and Turkmenistan. Iran later reopened its skies exclusively for Indian rescue flights, enabling direct airlifts starting June 20. Similarly, evacuations from Israel were coordinated through Jordan and Kuwait, demonstrating India's wide diplomatic engagement in the region. Gratitude expressed by Indian students returning home Numerous returning students have shared heartfelt messages, thanking the Indian government for its swift and comprehensive rescue efforts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo A video posted by @mygovindia features young evacuees expressing their appreciation. Sheikh Afsa, who arrived in New Delhi aboard a special flight carrying 110 evacuees from northern Iran, told ANI that the evacuation team 'literally took us from our dormitory, from our doors… we didn't even expect this much help. We are grateful to the central government for the role they played.' One student is quoted by ANI saying, 'We used to hear that Modi Ji considers all Indians as his own family. Today we have felt the same way.' Another added, 'I am very thankful for my government because of which our problems are solved.' A researcher's account from Jerusalem Arvind Shukla, an Indian postdoctoral researcher who was evacuated from Jerusalem, shared his experience after reaching India. Speaking to ANI at the airport, Shukla described the terrifying atmosphere in Israel: 'Missiles were flying over our heads… we used to stay in the hostel and rush to the bunker when sirens went off.' He added that the evacuation was well-managed with the help of officials in Jordan and Kuwait. ANI quoted Shukla saying, 'They took out 160 people from there. We received proper food, water and everything… the India Embassy staff were really kind. We are grateful.' Concerns about disrupted studies but hopes for return While students were relieved to be home, some voiced concern about the impact on their academic futures. A girl from Jammu and Kashmir, currently in her fourth year of studies in Iran, told ANI that while she was thankful for the safe evacuation, she hoped the war would soon end so that students could return to finish their education. ANI quoted her saying, 'We didn't expect to be back, but such is the condition there… The evacuation process was smooth. I request our CM to help us reach home quickly.' India continues to prioritise citizens' safety abroad In a post shared on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the continued commitment of the Indian government: 'India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran, who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia… India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of her nationals abroad.' Sri Lankan student praises India's 'Neighbourhood First' approach India's assistance extended beyond its own citizens. Fatima Iman, a Sri Lankan national who was also rescued from Iran, expressed her thanks for the support. ANI quoted her saying that the worsening conditions in Iran made the Indian evacuation effort all the more crucial. She appreciated India's commitment to regional stability, referencing past operations like the 1990 evacuation from Kuwait and the 2015 Yemen crisis. With Operation Sindhu still underway, many more citizens are expected to be brought home in the coming days.


Indian Express
28 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Oil price slips after Iran targets US base in Qatar instead of blocking Strait of Hormuz: Here's why
As Iran launched missiles at a US military base in Qatar in retaliation to American airstrikes at its nuclear facilities, oil prices tumbled. With West Asia on edge amid the Israel-Iran conflagration and the US joining in, the fact that oil prices slipped after Iran fired missiles at Qatar could seem counterintuitive at first, given that it would appear that the conflict was escalating further. Oil traders, however, saw it differently. To them, Iran's Monday evening strikes accompanied by a de-escalatory tone were signals that Tehran was not going to target oil shipments or attempt a blockade of the critical chokepoint—the Strait of Hormuz—and would limit its response to seemingly symbolic strikes. The traders, it now appears, were right in their assessment. Overnight, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Although the two countries have not officially acknowledged that an understanding has been reached, there are clear indications that military action is likely to be suspended, at least for the time being. Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that there was no agreement on any ceasefire, but if Israel stopped attacking Iran, then the latter had no intention to continue with its attacks. Oil prices started slipping after Iran's volley of missiles at the US base in Qatar, giving up all the gains of the past couple of weeks. Trump's announcement of an Israel-Iran 'ceasefire' further exacerbated the fall. Brent is currently hovering around $68 per barrel. Over the course of the nearly two-week conflict between Israel and Iran, oil prices were volatile, with Brent rising from around $69 per barrel to $81, given the presence of threat to West Asian oil export infrastructure and flows from the region. War risk premiums on shipping surged over fears that oil tankers could become targets, or even collateral damage. But oil prices still did not really shoot through the roof, despite Tehran's warnings that it could shut the Strait of Hormuz. In fact, the Iranian parliament on Sunday recommended the closure of the strait, which is critical for global energy flows, but the oil prices did not really shoot up when markets opened the next day. It was clear that energy markets, while concerned and watchful, were not really buying into Iran's threats of blocking the Strait of Hormuz. For energy industry insiders and analysts, it was always improbable, a highly distant possibility at best. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical and narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) calls it the 'world's most important oil transit chokepoint', with around one-fifth of global liquid petroleum fuel consumption and global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade transiting the strait. The strait is critical for India's energy security as well. According to tanker data, over 45 per cent of crude oil imported by Indian refiners in May was likely to have been transported from various oil producing countries in West Asia via the Strait of Hormuz. The importance of the chokepoint for India's energy supply and security cannot be understated as the country is the world's third-largest consumer of crude oil and depends on imports to meet over 88 per cent of its requirement. The strait's blockade, if it actually did happen, would have sent energy prices soaring, with predictions of oil prices in triple-digits, up to $130 per barrel, being widely talked about. Such price levels would have hurt the global economy, with additional pain points for energy import-dependent countries like India. Given the fragile peace now in place in the region, that fear has abated to a great extent, at least for the time being. Iran has in the past threatened to close the strait on multiple occasions, but has never actually done it, even during some of its worst wars. A large number of energy sector experts and analysts, while viewing Iran's repeated threats of the strait's closure with concern, maintained that the possibility was extremely low, primarily because such a move would impose a heavy cost on Iran, which would outweigh any benefit the country may get. 'First foremost, such a blockade would disproportionately harm China, which sources 47 per cent of its seaborne crude from the Middle East Gulf, including Iranian volumes. Iran's ability to maintain its sole major oil customer would be directly jeopardised. Additionally, Tehran has made deliberate efforts over the past two years to rebuild ties with key regional actors, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both of which rely heavily on the Strait for exports and have publicly condemned Israel's actions. Sabotaging their flows would risk unraveling those diplomatic gains,' commodity market analytics firm Kpler had said on Thursday (June 19). In fact, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with Fox News that China should prevent Iran from attempting the strait's closure, as China is the key buyer of Iranian oil and seen as having a close relationship with Iran. He added that while the US retained options to deal with the strait's closure, 'other countries should be looking at that as well'. He also termed the strait's closure as 'economic suicide' for Tehran. Iran remains structurally reliant on the Strait of Hormuz. While it has an oil export terminal located outside the Persian Gulf, its effective capacity is only a fraction of Iran's oil export volumes that cannot bypass the strait. Additionally, Iran would have certainly faced international military retaliation if it went ahead to close the Strait of Hormuz or targeted the transiting oil shipments. 'Any Iranian naval build-up would be detectable in advance, likely triggering a preemptive US and allied response. At most, isolated sabotage efforts could disrupt flows for 24–48 hours, the estimated time required for US forces to neutralise Iran's conventional naval assets… while the rhetoric may generate headlines, the fundamentals argue strongly against action,' Kpler's June 19 note said. Also, the strait's closure would have infringed upon Oman's territorial waters, souring Iran's relationship with its neighbor, which would have been counterproductive for a country that doesn't exactly have a lot of friends and allies in its neighbourhood, analysts pointed out. Iran depends on Oman for back-channel diplomacy with the US, and alienating Muscat could have significantly constrained Iran's diplomatic options. Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More