India Launches ‘Operation Sindhu’ to Evacuate Nationals From War-Torn Iran
India on Wednesday launched ‘Operation Sindhu’ to evacuate its nationals from Iran as the direct military conflict between Tehran and Israel intensified, with the death toll now exceeding 600. The first batch of 110 Indian students has already been safely evacuated from northern Iran and is en route to New Delhi.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that the government has been taking various steps for the safety and security of its citizens in Iran amid the deteriorating situation. As a first step, the Indian missions in Tehran and Yerevan coordinated to move 110 students by road from northern Iran across the border into Armenia on Tuesday, June 17.
A special flight carrying these students departed from the Armenian capital, Yerevan, at 2:55 PM IST on Wednesday and is expected to land in New Delhi in the early hours of Thursday, June 19. The government expressed its gratitude to both Iran and Armenia for facilitating the evacuation process.
The launch of ‘Operation Sindhu’ comes as the war between Israel and Iran entered its sixth consecutive day. The conflict has seen unprecedented direct aerial attacks between the two nations. According to latest reports, the death toll in Iran from Israeli strikes has risen to 585, while retaliatory Iranian attacks have killed at least 24 in Israel. On Wednesday, Iran claimed to have fired a Fattah-1 hypersonic missile at Israel for the first time, while intense Israeli strikes continued to target Tehran and other locations.
The MEA stated that the Indian Embassy in Tehran is actively assisting other Indian nationals in moving from high-risk zones to relatively safer areas within Iran, with further evacuations planned through feasible options.
An advisory was issued by the Indian Embassy on June 15, urging all Indian nationals to stay in close contact with the mission, avoid unnecessary travel, and monitor the embassy’s social media for updates. The MEA has also established a 24×7 control room in New Delhi to provide support and information.
