Amid conflict with Israel, Iran opens airspace to evacuate around 1,000 Indian students
Iran has opened its airspace for India, allowing New Delhi to bring back around 1,000 Indian students under Operation Sindhu as tensions are escalating in the Middle East.
According to multiple reports, Mahan Air, an Iranian carrier, will bring back the students to New Delhi in multiple chartered flights over the weekend. Nearly 1,000 Indian students have been moved from Tehran to Mashad and will be brought back in three flights.
On Wednesday, the Indian government officially launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate its citizens from Iran. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had confirmed that 110 Indian students from northern Iran were successfully escorted across the border into Armenia on June 17. These students were taken to Yerevan, the Armenian capital, under the supervision of Indian diplomatic missions.
Operation Sindhu was launched after reports of Indian students sustaining injuries during a strike on a medical student dormitory in Tehran's Keshavarz Street area. Iranian embassy officials in Delhi confirmed that the Iranian foreign ministry remains in close contact with the Indian mission in Tehran following the incident.
In an earlier statement, the MEA emphasised the Indian government's focus on the well-being of its citizens abroad. 'India accords highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. As part of the ongoing operation, the Indian Embassy in Iran has been assisting large numbers of Indian nationals in moving from areas seeing increased hostilities to relatively safer areas within the country and to subsequently evacuate them using the available and feasible options,' it had said.
The MEA also expressed gratitude to both Iran and Armenia for their cooperation in facilitating the evacuation efforts.
Indian nationals in Iran have been advised to stay connected with the Indian Embassy in Tehran through its emergency helpline and to coordinate with the 24×7 Control Room established by the MEA in New Delhi.
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