Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, the Indian government continues its efforts to safely repatriate its citizens stranded in conflict zones. On Monday, a fresh batch of 290 Indian nationals, along with one Sri Lankan citizen, were evacuated from Iran. This evacuation is part of the ongoing "Operation Sindhu," launched to bring back Indian citizens from Iran and Israel.
The special flight carrying the evacuees landed in New Delhi on Monday at 19:15 hrs. According to External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, with this recent arrival, the total number of Indian nationals evacuated from Iran has reached 2,003.
The evacuation operation was initiated in response to the heightened hostilities between Iran and Israel, which further intensified following the US bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites. These events created an increasingly dangerous environment for Indian nationals residing in the region, prompting the Indian government to take swift action.
The evacuation process has involved coordinating flights from multiple locations, including the Iranian city of Mashhad, Armenia's capital Yerevan, and Turkmenistan's Ashgabat. The MEA reported that Iran had eased airspace restrictions on Friday to facilitate three evacuation flights from Mashhad. Prior to Monday's flight, a chartered flight carrying 290 Indians arrived in Delhi on Friday, followed by another carrying 310 passengers on Saturday afternoon. Additionally, a group was evacuated from Yerevan on Thursday, and a special flight from Ashgabat landed early Saturday.
Alongside the evacuations from Iran, India is also working to bring back its citizens from Israel. Due to the closure of Israeli airspace, Indian nationals are being assisted to cross land borders into Jordan and Egypt. The Indian Embassy in Israel has been coordinating efforts to ensure safe passage and has asked citizens to register with the embassy and obtain the necessary documentation. The first batch of 161 Indian nationals evacuated from Israel is expected to arrive in New Delhi via Jordan on June 24. Overall, 604 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Israel through coordinated routes via Jordan and Egypt.
The Indian Embassy in the region is operating a 24/7 control room to assist with the evacuation efforts. Evacuees have expressed their relief and gratitude to the Indian government for the swift and efficient evacuation process.
As the situation in the Middle East remains volatile, the Indian government continues to closely monitor developments and coordinate with its diplomatic missions to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens. Qatar has temporarily closed its airspace due to growing instability in the region. India's evacuation operations are being meticulously managed through its embassies in the affected areas, with the MEA actively overseeing the evolving situation.
