Operation Sindhu: 517 Indians Evacuated from Iran Amid Ongoing Conflict

Successful Evacuation of Indian Nationals from Iran

According to Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), a total of 517 Indian citizens have successfully returned to India from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu.

On June 21, a special flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, landed in New Delhi. This operation was initiated by the Indian government to evacuate its nationals from Iran due to the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel.

In a post shared on X, Jaiswal remarked, "Operation Sindhu is ongoing. A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, arrived in New Delhi at 0300 hrs on June 21, bringing Indians back from Iran. To date, 517 Indian nationals have returned home under this operation."

#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

Recently, another group of Indian nationals evacuated from Iran arrived safely in Delhi as part of the Indian government's efforts to assist its citizens in conflict-affected areas.

The Indian Embassy in Tehran played a crucial role in coordinating the safe return of students, while the MEA facilitated their evacuation. One evacuee, Zaffar Abbas Naqvi, shared his experience of staying indoors after hearing about the attacks on Iran.

Naqvi and his family later relocated to Mashhad, which also faced attacks, prompting them to reach out to the Indian government. He expressed gratitude for the prompt response from the authorities, thanking Prime Minister Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for their assistance.

"Initially, everything was fine, but we soon learned about the attacks on Iran. We stayed indoors for a while before moving to Mashhad, which was also targeted. We contacted the Indian government, and their swift action was beyond words. I am grateful to Modi ji and Yogi ji for their support," Naqvi stated.

#WATCH | #OperationSindhu | Delhi: Fazil Naqvi, an Indian national evacuated from Iran, says, "We thank the Indian government for evacuating us safely. The staff of the Indian Embassy helped a lot. We are happy with the Modi government and we all want the Modi government to keep… https://t.co/oN5yLDfiAE pic.twitter.com/5trFGRjOn1

— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2025

Another evacuee, Kulsum, expressed her relief at returning home, highlighting the troubling situation in Iran and the invaluable assistance provided by the government.

In her words, "The situation in Iran is dire. We were extremely worried. The government's help was crucial in bringing us back safely."

Mohammad Ali Qazim, who was also evacuated from Mashhad, thanked the Indian government for facilitating his safe return and crossing the border. He noted that the conditions in Iran, particularly in Tehran, were concerning.

"I am returning from Mashhad. It feels great to be home… We had gone for a religious trip. The situation there is not good, especially in Tehran… The Indian government assisted us significantly in crossing the border and getting back to India. The UP government is also providing substantial help in taking us home…" he shared.

The ongoing operation continues to provide relief to families across India, with both Central and State governments working together to ensure the safe return of citizens amidst the regional tensions. The first group of 110 Indian students, including 90 from Kashmir, was successfully evacuated from northern Iran and transported to Armenia before arriving in New Delhi.

These students primarily hailed from Urmia Medical University. The conflict between Israel and Iran has now entered its ninth day, having begun on June 13 with a significant airstrike by Israel on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, termed "Operation Rising Lion." In retaliation, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) initiated a large-scale drone and missile operation, "Operation True Promise 3," targeting Israeli fuel production and energy supply sites.

#WATCH | #OperationSindhu | Delhi: Indian Nationals evacuated from Iran raise slogan of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' as they express their happiness on their safe return to India

A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, landed in New Delhi at 0300 hrs today. With this,… pic.twitter.com/Co83zch5tw

— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2025