Operation Sindhu continues, so far 517 Indian nationals returned to India from Iran: MEA

NEW DELHI: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that so far, 517 Indian nationals have returned to India from Iran under Operation Sindhu.

Jaiswal stated that a special flight from Turkmenistan’s Ashgabat arrived in New Delhi on June 21. The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran, given the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

In a post on X, Jaiswal stated, “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 home under Operation Sindhu.”

#OperationSindhu 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 home under Operation Sindhu. pic.twitter.com/xYfpoxwJtw

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 21, 2025

A fresh batch of Indian nationals evacuated from Iran landed safely in Delhi on Saturday under Operation Sindhu, as part of the Government of India’s ongoing efforts to bring back its citizens from conflict-hit regions.

The Indian Embassy in Tehran coordinated the safe movement of students, while the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) ensured their safe return. An Indian national who was evacuated from Iran, Zaffar Abbas Naqvi, recounted how he and his family stayed indoors initially after hearing about the attack on Iran. They later moved to Mashhad, which also came under attack, prompting them to contact the Indian government.

Naqvi praised the swift action taken by the government and thanked Prime Minister Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath for their support.

“Everything was going fine, but one day we heard that Iran had been attacked. We stayed indoors for some time. We then moved to Mashhad. Soon Mashhad came under attack. We then contacted the Indian government. The action was so swift that we cannot express our gratitude in words. I want to thank Modi ji and Yogi ji who made all the arrangements for us…,” said Naqvi.

Kulsum, an Indian national evacuated from Iran, expressed relief at being back home safely, saying the situation in Iran was worrisome and the government’s help was invaluable. Kulsum said, “The situation in Iran is not good. We were very worried. The government helped us a lot and brought us back home safely.”

Another Indian national who was evacuated from Mashhad, Mohammad Ali Qazim, expressed gratitude towards the Indian government for their help in crossing the border and returning home safely. He mentioned that the situation in Iran, especially in Tehran, was not good.

“I am coming from Mashhad. It feels very good to return home… We had gone on a religious journey. The situation there is not good, especially in Tehran… Indian government helped us a lot in crossing the border and bringing us to India. The UP government is also helping us a lot by taking us back home…” he said.

The operation continues to bring relief to families across India, with coordinated efforts from both the Central and State governments ensuring the safe return of citizens amid the ongoing tensions in the region. The first batch of 110 Indian students, including 90 from Kashmir, was safely evacuated from northern Iran and transported to Armenia before being flown to New Delhi. These students were primarily from Urmia Medical University.

The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its ninth day on Saturday. The conflict started after Israel, on June 13, launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, dubbed “Operation Rising Lion”. In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a large-scale drone and missile operation, ‘Operation True Promise 3’, targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres. (ANI)