Indian Students Evacuated from War-Torn Iran: A Grateful Return Home

Evacuation of Students Amid Conflict

New Delhi: Students evacuated from conflict-ridden Iran shared their harrowing experiences and expressed gratitude towards the Indian government for its prompt response in facilitating their return.

The first flight, carrying 110 Indian students who had been relocated to Armenia, touched down in Delhi early Thursday morning.

As tensions escalated between Israel and Iran, the Indian Embassy orchestrated the evacuation of these students from Tehran, with the group crossing into Armenia under 'Operation Sindhu' on Tuesday.

Kirti Vardhan Singh, the Minister of State for External Affairs, announced that further evacuations are underway.

"We have aircraft on standby. Another flight is scheduled for today, and we are also evacuating individuals from Turkmenistan. Our missions are available 24/7 for evacuation requests. As the situation changes, we will deploy more flights to assist Indian nationals," Singh, who also oversees the Environment, Forest, and Climate Change portfolio, informed the press.

He extended his appreciation to the governments of Turkmenistan and Armenia for their cooperation.

Varta, a student from Kashmir among those who arrived, recounted, "We were the first to be evacuated from Iran. The circumstances were dire, and we were frightened. We are thankful to the Indian government and embassy for their swift actions that brought us home."

"Our neighborhood was under attack. When the Indian government reached out to us, it felt like home," she added.

Another student, Mir Khalif, studying MBBS, described the tense atmosphere in Iran, stating, "We witnessed missiles. There was active warfare, and our area was bombed. We were terrified. I hope we never have to experience such days again."

Khalif expressed gratitude for being evacuated first to Armenia and then back to India.

"There are still students stranded in Iran. They are being moved to safer locations, and we hope they will be airlifted soon," he mentioned.

Ali Akbar, another student, shared that during their bus journey, they witnessed a missile and a drone falling.

"The situation depicted in the news is accurate. It is extremely dire. Tehran has suffered significant destruction," the Delhi student remarked.

Parents anxiously awaited their children outside the airport.

Haider Ali, father of 21-year-old Maaz Haider, an MBBS student in Iran, expressed his gratitude for the rescue efforts, stating, "We are overjoyed that the students have returned safely. We appreciate the Indian government's efforts. However, we are concerned for those still trapped in Tehran and urge authorities to evacuate them as well."

Parvez Alam, waiting for his son Sameer at the airport, shared, "He has been studying in Urmia for two years. Everything was fine until recently when the situation worsened. We were under immense stress. The Indian government evacuated students to Armenia, where they were accommodated in good hotels. We are thankful for that," he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for initiating the evacuation process.

"We remain hopeful that all remaining students will be evacuated soon," the association stated.