Operation Sindhu: India evacuates its citizens from Iran amid rising tensions in the Middle East

New Delhi (India) June 19: As concerns about full-scale Israeli-American military strikes on Iran grew, India said Wednesday that it was initiating "Operation Sindhu" to evacuate Indian citizens from Iran.

110 Indian students were successfully transported from northern Iran to Yerevan, Armenia, and then flown to New Delhi during the first phase. The Iranian and Armenian governments have received appreciation by the authorities for their help in making the evacuation possible.

The operation takes place as regional tensions continue to rise in the aftermath of Israel's military attacks inside Iran and the conflict's expansion. Over the past few days, the Indian government has been taking action to guarantee the safety and security of its residents in Iran while keeping a careful eye on the situation.

On June 17, 110 Indian students from northern Iran were safely evacuated and driven to Yerevan, Armenia, as part of the operation's initial leg. India's missions in Tehran and Yerevan worked closely together to plan the movement. On a special flight, these students left Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan at 14:55 IST on June 18 and are expected to reach New Delhi early on June 19.

Ministry of External Affairs official Randhir Jaiswal posted, "Operation Sindhu begins. India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on 17th June. They departed from Yerevan on a special flight and will arrive in New Delhi in the early hours of 19th June 2025. India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of her nationals abroad” on social media platform X.

The Ministry of External Affairs said, "As part of the ongoing operation, the Indian Embassy in Iran has been assisting large numbers of Indian nationals in moving from areas witnessing increased hostilities to relatively safer zones within the country, and subsequently facilitating their evacuation using feasible options" in a press statement.

The MEA emphasized that India places the safety and security of its citizens overseas as its top concern and asked those who are still in Iran to stay in contact with the MEA's 24-hour control room in New Delhi and the Indian Embassy in Tehran.

A 24-hour control room has also been established in New Delhi by the MEA to handle concerns for Indians who are stranded in Iran and their family members. It also included the control room's contact details.

The hotline numbers are 800118797 (toll-free), +91-11-23012113, +91-11-23014104, and +91-11-23017905; the email address is [email protected] and the WhatsApp number is +91-9968291988.

On June 15, the Indian Embassy in Iran sent out an advisory to all Indian citizens and people of Indian descent, asking them to stay in contact, refrain from needless travel, and follow the Embassy's social media pages for updates.

On Wednesday, Israel and Iran carried on exchanging missiles for the sixth day in a row, killing more than 600 people. According to the Health Ministry, Iran has sustained the most damage with 585 people killed.

Aadrika Tayal