(Image source from: x.com/MEAIndia)
Iran has temporarily opened its airspace, which was previously closed, to facilitate the evacuation of Indian citizens. In the next couple of days, it is anticipated that at least 1,000 Indian students stranded in conflict-affected Iranian areas will arrive in Delhi as part of the Indian government's urgent evacuation initiative, dubbed Operation Sindhu. The initial flight is slated to arrive at 11:00 PM IST tonight, while the second and third flights are set for Saturday, one taking off in the morning and another in the evening. Due to ongoing missile exchanges and drone strikes involving Israeli and Iranian forces, most international flights cannot access Iranian airspace. However, India has been granted a special corridor for the purpose of evacuating its students.
On Wednesday, India revealed its plan to commence 'Operation Sindhu' to bring home its nationals from Iran, especially as tensions between the Persian Gulf nation and Israel show no signs of abating. Officials from the Iranian embassy in Delhi indicated that the Iranian foreign ministry is in regular communication with the Indian mission in Tehran, particularly after some students were reported injured. According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), "India places the utmost importance on ensuring the safety and security of its citizens abroad." Over 4,000 Indian nationals reside in Iran, with about half of them being students. MEA reports indicate that 110 Indian students were evacuated from northern Iran earlier in the week and transported by road to Yerevan, Armenia. This operation was carried out with coordinated efforts between the Indian embassies in Tehran and Yerevan. Once in Yerevan, they caught a special flight at 14:55 hours on June 18, arriving in New Delhi in the early hours of June 19.
An MEA spokesperson expressed appreciation for the Iranian and Armenian governments for their assistance in ensuring safe transit for Indian nationals through their countries. These students were attending Urmia Medical University, located in Iran's West Azerbaijan province near the Turkish border, an area that has recently witnessed missile activity and troop movements. A significant portion of these students hail from Jammu and Kashmir, with the Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association confirming that 90 out of the 110 evacuees on the initial flight are from that region. The ongoing conflict escalated following Israel's launch of 'Operation Rising Lion,' which targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, resulting in extensive retaliatory actions from Tehran, including missile strikes and drone assaults that have reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 20 civilians in Israeli neighborhoods and injured several others.
On Wednesday, Israeli aircraft conducted several strikes near Tehran, and witnesses noted evacuations in the northern parts of the capital. By the evening, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed they had engaged a nuclear site, while Iranian state media reported the firing of hypersonic missiles aimed at Israeli military targets.
