First of 3 flights evacuating Indians from Iran's Mashhad lands in Delhi

The first of three chartered evacuation flights carrying Indian nationals from conflict-hit Iran arrived in Delhi late Friday night, following Iran's decision to ease airspace restrictions for the operation. Those on board had earlier been moved from Tehran to safer locations. Additional flights may be arranged in the coming days for others wanting to return to India, according to a senior Iranian diplomat. Those on board had earlier been moved from Tehran to safer locations. Additional flights may be arranged in the coming days for others wanting to return to India. (File)(Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)
'Iran's airspace is currently closed, but we're facilitating limited access for the safe evacuation of Indian nationals,' said Mohammad Javad Hosseini, deputy chief of mission at the Iranian embassy.
Around 1,000 Indians, mostly students pursuing professional courses, were relocated from Tehran to Qom and then to Mashhad. These evacuees will be flown to Delhi on three Iranian-operated charter flights arranged by India, Hosseini said.
Two more evacuation flights are set to arrive on Saturday.
This evacuation is taking place as the Iran-Israel war enters its second week, following Israel's large-scale aerial offensive launched last week. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he is considering joining Israel in the conflict and will make a decision within two weeks, leaving open the possibility of negotiations to end the hostilities. More evacuation flights to land on Saturday
Sources familiar with the situation said that another flight is scheduled to bring back more Indian nationals who were earlier moved from Iran to Turkmenistan via a land route. This evacuation flight from Ashgabat is expected to arrive in New Delhi early Saturday morning.
None of the evacuation flights are flying over Pakistani airspace.
Hosseini noted that additional flights may be arranged in the coming days, including a possible one on Sunday, to help Indians wishing to return home. He added that the Iranian foreign ministry is coordinating closely with India's external affairs ministry and the Indian embassy in Tehran to ensure the safe evacuation of Indian citizens.
'We are arranging for the safe passage of Indians who want to [leave] via air or via road through third countries, or directly from Iran,' Hosseini said.
A separate group of 110 Indian students, who had been relocated from Tehran to Qom and then taken to Armenia by land, reached Delhi on a flight from Yerevan on Thursday.
At the time the hostilities began, triggered by Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites over the weekend, there were around 10,000 Indians in Iran—many of them students. India has not issued any formal advisories urging its citizens to leave Iran or Israel, but it has asked nationals in both countries to remain alert and limit their movement. Indian authorities have also recommended that citizens move out of Tehran.
Hosseini said that all Indian nationals in Iran are safe, except for a few who sustained injuries when an Israeli airstrike struck a student dormitory in Tehran over the weekend.
(With inputs from Rezaul Laskar)

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