Indian Citizens Evacuated from Iran Amid Ongoing Conflict
Evacuation of Indians from Iran
On Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs announced the arrival of two additional flights carrying Indian nationals evacuated from Iran, amidst escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.
A total of 290 Indians, comprising students and pilgrims, were brought back on a charter flight that landed on Friday night, according to the ministry's statement.
The second flight touched down at 3 AM on Saturday, having departed from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and included over 100 Indians who had previously traveled from Iran.
With these arrivals, the total number of Indian citizens returned under the evacuation initiative, dubbed Operation Sindhu, has reached 517.
The first flight of this operation, which evacuated 110 Indian students, arrived in Delhi on Thursday.
These students had been relocated to Armenia from Iran on Wednesday after being evacuated from Urmia University in northwestern Iran.
Iran had recently lifted airspace restrictions, allowing three charter flights to facilitate the evacuation of approximately 1,000 Indians, as reported by a deputy chief of mission at the Iranian embassy in Delhi.
The Indian nationals were initially moved from Tehran to Qom and then to Mashad in northeastern Iran before their return to India.
Another flight is anticipated to arrive in Delhi later on Saturday.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs expressed gratitude to the Iranian government for its assistance in the evacuation process.
The current conflict between Israel and Iran escalated on June 13, when Israeli forces targeted what they claimed were nuclear sites in Iran, prompting retaliatory missile strikes from Iran.
These ongoing hostilities have raised alarms about a potential broader conflict in the region.
As of June 15, reports indicated that 224 individuals had lost their lives in the conflict, with at least 24 casualties reported in Israel due to Iranian attacks.
Israel has asserted that Iran is nearing the capability to develop a nuclear weapon, stating its obligation to protect its citizens. Conversely, Iran insists that its nuclear endeavors are solely for peaceful purposes.