Iran Reopens Skies for ‘Operation Sindhu’, 1,000 Indians to Be Evacuated Tonight
Iran has made an exception to its ongoing airspace closure to allow special chartered flights to evacuate around 1,000 Indian nationals, with the first flight scheduled to land in New Delhi tonight. This development comes as India on Thursday expanded its ‘Operation Sindhu’ to include the evacuation of citizens who wish to leave Israel, amid the escalating military conflict between the two West Asian powers.
The government of India is arranging the special evacuation flights, operated by Mahan Air, from Mashhad in Iran. “We have scheduled these chartered flights for the Indians who want to get out,” authorities confirmed, highlighting the effort to ensure the safety of Indian nationals as the war enters its eighth day.
This major airlift follows the successful first phase of ‘Operation Sindhu’. On Wednesday, India evacuated an initial batch of 110 students from northern Iran by transporting them across the land border into Armenia. A special flight from the Armenian capital, Yerevan, brought them to New Delhi, where they were received by Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in the early hours of Thursday.
Recognizing the widening scope of the conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday announced that the evacuation operation would also be extended to Israel. The plan involves facilitating the travel of Indian nationals who wish to leave Israel through its land borders, from where they will be flown back to India. The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv is coordinating the logistics and has asked all nationals to register for the evacuation.
These urgent measures have been put in place as the direct conflict between Iran and Israel continues to intensify. The death toll from a week of hostilities has now crossed 650, with Iran reporting the vast majority of casualties. Both countries have continued to trade missile and drone strikes, sparking fears of a full-blown regional war.
The Indian government has reaffirmed its commitment to the safety and security of its citizens abroad, with embassies in both Tehran and Tel Aviv operating 24×7 helplines and urging all Indians to remain vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel.
