Op Sindhu: MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh welcomes first group of 110 Indians evacuated from Iran

NEW DELHI: Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, on Thursday welcomed the first group of 110 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.

The evacuees, including students from Urmia, arrived in Delhi under the Government of India’s Operation Sindhu and expressed gratitude for the swift rescue efforts.

An evacuated student said that the Indian authorities did a good job and that all students were evacuated. He added that the situation in Iran, especially in Tehran, is worsening daily.

“The situation over there is worsening day by day… The situation is particularly very bad in Tehran. Indian students are all being evacuated from there. We are from Urmia University. Indian authorities are doing a good job. All students are being evacuated and taken to a safe place”, the student told reporters.

“We were evacuated from our University and taken to Armenia, after which we were taken to Qatar. From Qatar, we reached India”, he added.

#WATCH | Delhi | MBBS student evacuated from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu, says, “We are very happy to be back in our country. The situation is really bad there. We saw the missiles being launched and intercepted by Iran. We are thankful to the government for evacuating us.” pic.twitter.com/r2z1tBeiOv

— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2025

Ghazal, a student evacuated from Iran, said, “We are all very happy that we returned home and the Indian Embassy evacuated us properly. We are very thankful to them… The situation in Urmia, where we lived, was much better than in Tehran.”

Recalling the horrors of the conflict, Yasir Gaffar, an India evacuated from Iran, said that they saw the missiles passing by and the loud sounds at night. “We saw the missiles passing by and the loud sounds at night… I am happy to reach India… I haven’t given up on my dreams… When the situation improves, we will return to Iran…” he said.

A student evacuated said, “I am happy that I am back in our country. We didn’t see any such thing in Urmia, but in other places across Iran, the situation was bad… The Government of India helped a lot, which is why we are back home.”

Mariam Roz, a student evacuated, said that the Indian Embassy prepared for everything and they did not face any issues. “The Indian Embassy had already prepared everything for us. We did not face any issues. We are travelling for three days, so we are tired… The situation was not so bad in Urmia when we left. We would see missiles from the windows of our dorm”, Mariam said.

#WATCH | Delhi | An Indian national evacuated from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu, says, “…When the Govt of India told us they were taking us home, it felt like I was looking at my mother. I felt so happy.”

“It was very tense for us at this time of war. We were uncertain… pic.twitter.com/5OxmAexjPQ

— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2025

Another student said, “I am a final year MBBS student at Urmia University… We saw drones and missiles. We were scared… We are happy to return to India and are very thankful to the Government of India, especially the Ministry of External Affairs… Our parents were also worried, but now they are happy.”

The parents of the students who evacuated also rejoiced and expressed gratitude towards the Indian government. The mother of a student evacuated from Iran said, “I am very happy my daughter has returned home. I want everyone’s children to come back. Indian government has managed everything so well that our children did not face any trouble anywhere…”

The father of an evacuated student said, “My son is returning via Armenia, on the special plane sent from India. My son was doing MBBS in Iran. I have come to receive him from Kota, Rajasthan. I am happy that my son is returning home… The Government of India has made good efforts.”

He urged the government to also help students stuck in Tehran. He added that his son was in the border area so he has been able to make it out but people stuck in Tehran have not been able to escape the conflict.

“I urge the government to help the students stuck in Tehran. My son was in the border area, and things were not so tense there, and only those living in the border areas have been able to make it out of the country. People stuck in the interior of the country, including in Tehran, have not been able to make it out so far… I want to thank the Indian Embassy in Tehran for their efforts; my son is going to reach here soon”, he said.

The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran in view of the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

In a post on X, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote, “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 special flight and will arrive in New Delhi in the early hours of 19th June 2025. India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of its nationals abroad.” (ANI)