In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, Iran has opened its otherwise restricted airspace exclusively for India to facilitate the evacuation of Indian nationals, primarily students, stranded in the country amid escalating tensions with Israel. The Indian government has launched ‘Operation Sindhu’, a large-scale emergency mission aimed at bringing home over 1,000 stranded students.
The first evacuation flight landed in Delhi at 11:00 PM IST on Friday, June 20, with two additional flights scheduled for June 21 – one in the morning and another in the evening. The move comes amid ongoing missile exchanges and drone strikes between Israeli and Iranian forces, which have led to the closure of Iranian airspace for most international flights.
India, however, has been granted a special air corridor to carry out the operation, thanks to close diplomatic coordination with Tehran. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad.”
More than 4,000 Indian nationals currently reside in Iran, about half of whom are students. The evacuation effort began earlier this week, with 110 Indian students successfully crossing into Armenia by road from northern Iran under the supervision of Indian missions in Tehran and Yerevan.
The students were flown from Yerevan to New Delhi on a special flight at 14:55 hours on June 18, arriving in the early hours of June 19. The MEA expressed gratitude to the governments of Iran and Armenia for their support in facilitating the operation.
“In light of the worsening security situation due to the Iran-Israel conflict, the Indian embassy has been actively relocating citizens from high-risk zones to safer areas within Iran and arranging for their evacuation through available and feasible routes,” the MEA said in a statement.
Indian nationals currently in Iran have been advised to remain in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran through its emergency helpline and the MEA’s 24×7 control room in New Delhi.
Operation Sindhu is ongoing, and more evacuations are expected in the coming days as tensions in the region persist.
