Operation Sindhu: Flight with 285 evacuees from Iran lands in Delhi; 3 more evacuation planned
Under Operation Sindhu, a special flight carrying 285 Indian nationals from Mashhad, Iran, landed in Delhi late Saturday night. The government plans to operate three more evacuation flights from Iran over the next two to three days, union minister of state for external affairs Pabitra Margherita said on Sunday.
The passengers, hailing from states including Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, bring the total number of Indians evacuated from Iran to 1,713 so far.
Speaking to reporters, Margherita announced that three more evacuation flights from Iran are scheduled over the next two to three days.
"We have scheduled to have three more flights from Iran in the next two to three days.
In the same way, we are in constant contact with Indian nations in Iran as well as Israel... 162 Indian nationals have crossed the border to Jordan, and within a day or two, they will be brought back to India," the minister said.
"Special evacuation flight has arrived in New Delhi Airport... carrying 285 Indian nationals... Mainly from 10 states... Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra...
The total number now stands at 1713," he added.
In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs stated, "India's evacuation efforts continue under Operation Sindhu. MoS Shri Pabitra Margherita received 285 Indian nationals evacuated on a special flight from Mashhad that landed in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 22 June."
"With this, 1,713 Indian nationals have now been brought home from Iran," it added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
27 minutes ago
- India Today
Did US use Indian airspace to strike Iran nuke sites? Government clarifies
India on Sunday dismissed as "fake" claims by certain social media handles that the US fighter jets used Indian airspace to launch strikes against US bombed three nuclear sites in Iran overnight, with President Donald Trump warning of additional strikes if Iran retaliates. advertisement'Several social media accounts have claimed that Indian Airspace was used by the United States to launch aircrafts against Iran during Operation #MidnightHammer. This claim is FAKE,' PIB Fact Check said in a post on X. 'Indian Airspace was NOT used by the United States during Operation #MidnightHammer,' said the fact check unit of the Press Information Bureau that functions under the Ministry of Information and said that the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine had explained the route used by US aircraft during a press InMust Watch
India Today
27 minutes ago
- India Today
Operation Sindhu: First batch of 160 Indians evacuated from Israel through Jordan
With Israeli airspace closed and commercial flights suspended, the Indian missions in Israel and Jordan jointly evacuated 160 Indian nationals in the first batch under Operation Sindhu on Sunday, according to an embassy missions organised the first batch of evacuation from Israel as the Indian nationals living in Israel constantly grappled with the sounds of sirens, frequently taking cover in bunkers and fortified safe rooms from incoming missiles and drones from first group of 160 Indian nationals evacuated from Israel have successfully crossed the Israel-Jordan border and are now safe in Jordan," officials told PTI. "Arrangements have been made for their return to India, with a special evacuation flight scheduled to depart early tomorrow morning," they Indian nationals reached the Jordanian border for evacuation earlier, the embassy sources told Indian embassy in Amman is looking after their accommodation and launched Operation Sindhu last week to bring back Indians from Iran and Israel as hostilities between the two nations the urgency of the situation, the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv last week set up a 24/7 control room to oversee all facets of the evacuation efforts, the source control room directed Indian nationals to register via an online portal and compiled a detailed database of Indian citizens across Israel, it priorities were determined based on medical emergencies, the presence of young children, women, and students. Embassy officials proactively contacted registrants by phone and email to confirm travel details and allocate them to specific evacuation flights," the source situation on the ground is being closely monitored at the highest levels of the government, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi actively receiving real-time updates on the safety and security of the Indian nationals, the source said."This operation underscores India's unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad. Operation Sindhu is yet another testament to India's emergence as a credible 'first responder' in international crises," a statement from the Indian mission Indian nationals scheduled to be evacuated in the first batch gathered at designated assembly points in Tel Aviv and Haifa early Sunday morning and were then taken by road to the Sheikh Hussein Bridge on the Israel-Jordan border, some 120 kilometres from completing immigration and border formalities at the Israel-Jordanian border, the group proceeded to Amman Airport, another 120 kilometres Shukla, a researcher from Hebrew University who was evacuated on Sunday morning, praised "the smooth and carefully planned process" by the embassy under "difficult circumstances", and told PTI: "I have completed the visa process and have already moved to the Jordanian side. The embassy was extremely helpful in facilitating our journey, and we were looked after well."advertisementThe Israeli and Jordanian governments extended crucial support in ensuring the safe and orderly transit of Indian nationals across the border, the mission in Tel Aviv Embassy of India in Jordan played a key role in receiving the evacuees at the border to further facilitate their onward journey to Amman Airport, it flights from Amman to New Delhi have been arranged by the Ministry of External Affairs to safely fly Indian nationals flights are also planned to leave from Egypt in the coming days, as there are many Indians living in the south of Sindhu joins the ranks of previous high-profile evacuation missions such as Operation Ganga, Operation Devi Shakti, Operation Kaveri, and Operation Ajay, which successfully brought home Indians from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Israel, respectively."These efforts reflect not only India's growing global stature but also its operational readiness and deep sense of responsibility toward its diaspora," an embassy official said."The Government of India continues to accord the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. The government will continue to monitor the situation closely. The embassy remains continuously in touch with the community to extend all feasible assistance," the official Indian mission in Israel once again reached out to its citizens on Sunday to register for ongoing updates and assistance, and provided a 24/7 helpline are over 40,000 Indian nationals in Israel working as caregivers, construction workers, students, professionals and others. Tune InMust Watch
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
Fordoward Thinking
Iran may still negotiate with US, taking a long view, while skirmishing with Israel. Even if its nuclear infra is damaged, its knowhow isn't. But if the conflict spreads, welfare of 9mn Indians in the region will be New Delhi's first concern For two decades every United States administration said it might someday bomb Iran's enrichment plants. On Saturday night that 'someday' arrived. B-2 stealth bombers dropped 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bombs while submarines and aircraft launched Tomahawks at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, the three most consequential nodes in Iran's IAEA monitored nuclear network. Trump declared that 'Fordow is gone', and that Tehran must 'agree to end this war'. The flourish was vintage Trump – muscular and headline grabbing. But behind the applause lines lies a strategic gamble whose downsides may echo far beyond Qom. Trump crossed a threshold earlier presidents tiptoed around, turning an Israel-Iran slugfest into a US-Iran confrontation. He insists the raid was a 'one-off', intended to cripple enrichment. Although neither US nor Israel has produced evidence that Iran was on the brink of building a bomb, the Pentagon's quick look report claims the strikes set the programme back by years at minimal cost. Physics, however, counsels humility. Centrifuges are hardware while enrichment expertise is software lodged in scientists' heads. Bombs can destroy cylinders but not knowledge. Hardliners in Tehran will now argue that only a nuclear weapon can deter the next bunker buster. Did the raid delay a bomb or make it inevitable? Iran accused US of a grave violation of the UN Charter, NPT and international law and vowed that it will not go unanswered. The easiest escalation is to menace the Strait of Hormuz through which about a fifth of global oil passes every day. Next may come missile salvos on Gulf energy infra or on US installations, and then the possible activation of proxies from Lebanon to Yemen. With Iran's parliament reportedly approving the closure of the strait, Brent could easily move past $100 a barrel. Oxford Economics projects $130 if flows are disrupted, a level that would push world inflation back toward 6%. Traders are already paying a war premium in afterhours quotes. Jerusalem meanwhile is jubilant. Netanyahu called the strike a bold decision. Strategically Israel has shifted part of the fight and the risk to Washington. If Iran retaliates, Americans rather than Israelis will calibrate the counterpunch. That is deterrence by entanglement in the short run. Over time it hands Iran a larger menu of US targets and risks dragging America into a war it does not want. Russia immediately cited the bombing as proof of US recklessness while Beijing called it a serious violation of international norms. Any condemning move at the Security Council will face a US veto. However, in the General Assembly the Global South is expected to side with Iran in significant numbers. For India the strike lands like a thunderclap at a cricket match. New Delhi has tried to balance a growing partnership with Washington, deep defence ties with Israel and consequential arrangements with Tehran, from the Chabahar port to International North-South Transit Corridor and once-robust crude imports. That balancing act has lately been criticised by the main opposition party. ● The immediate anxiety is economic. The Gulf supplies 54% of India's oil, generates about 40% of its remittances and accounts for more than $170bn in two-way trade. India imports more than 80% of its crude; every ten dollar rise in Brent adds about one billion dollars a month to the import bill and pressures the rupee. Consumer inflation just slipped below 5%; a Hormuz scare could undo that gain and complicate RBI's plan to cut rates. GOI is already moving to secure supplies, eyeing the strategic petroleum reserve and talking to several producers to ensure continuity. ● A second priority is the safety of nearly nine million Indians working in the region. Evacuation from Iran and Israel is underway. Operation Sankalp ships in the region can be helpful, if required. Diplomatically India has open channels with Washington, Tehran and Jerusalem, but leverage is thin while missiles fly. Still New Delhi may be able to offer discreet messages that help each side edge away from the brink, just like back-channel efforts by Qatar and Muscat. Meanwhile others such as Saudi Arabia and UAE are actively counselling restraint. The key actors need face-saving options. That also means Washington spelling out what de-escalation looks like. Would it accept enrichment capped below weapons grade? Does it envisage returning to the JCPOA framework with phased sanctions relief? Absent clarity Tehran will read 'time for peace' as code for surrender. In US, supporters have praised decisive action; critics have warned that the President had bypassed Congress and demanded a War Powers vote. Trump's boast that the mission was historic and limited is politically smart yet strategically ambiguous. If Iran swallows the blow and returns to talks the White House can claim victory. If Tehran retaliates Washington can strike again and say it had no choice. Either way the attack chips away at the nonproliferation regime and bets that humiliation will not ignite a wider war. The US entry into another West Asian conflict recalls 1991 and 2003, but this round involves nuclear facilities, peer power pushback and an energy hungry Global South. Fordow's tunnels may indeed be rubble, yet geopolitics rarely collapses neatly. US strikes may be tactically brilliant. Strategically they kick a radioactive can down a much steeper road. That road needs to be kept from becoming a cratered battlefield. The test is whether diplomacy can move faster than the bunker busters. The writer is former permanent representative of India to UN and served as an international civil servant at IAEA Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
