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Key Points

India successfully evacuated 3,426 nationals from Iran and 818 from Israel under Operation Sindhu. The MEA coordinated flights via Armenia, Turkmenistan, Jordan, and Egypt due to airspace restrictions. Officials thanked Iran, Jordan, and Egypt for their crucial support in the mission. The operation highlights India’s swift response to safeguard citizens abroad.

Key Points: India Evacuates 3,426 Nationals from Iran 818 from Israel in Operation Sindhu

  • 14 flights evacuated Indians from Iran via Mashhad, Armenia, Turkmenistan
  • 818 nationals airlifted from Israel via Jordan and Egypt
  • MEA thanked Iran, Jordan, Egypt, and Israel for cooperation
  • Special flights arranged due to Israel’s closed airspace
3 min read

India evacuated 3,426 Indian nationals from Iran, 818 from Israel in Operation Sindhu: MEA

MEA confirms 14 flights evacuated Indians from Iran and Israel amid regional tensions, with gratitude to Jordan, Egypt, and Iran for support.

"We launched Operation Sindhu on the 18th of June... We have around 10,000 people from the Indian community in Iran, around 40,000 in Israel. – Randhir Jaiswal, MEA"

New Delhi, June 26

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India, so far have evacuated 3,426 Indian nationals from Iran and 818 Indian nationals from Israel in Operation Sindhu.

Addressing a weekly briefing on Thursday, Jaiswal said, "We launched Operation Sindhu on the 18th of June. We have around 10,000 people from the Indian community in Iran, around 40,000 people in Israel who are Indian nationals."

"From Iran, we have so far evacuated 3,426 Indian nationals, 11 OCI cardholders, 9 Nepalese nationals and some Sri Lankan nationals as well. I'll give you the exact figure. Plus one Iranian national who happens to be the spouse of an Indian national. In all, we mounted 14 flights to bring back Indian nationals from Iran. These flights, they flew from Mashhad, as well as from Yerevan in Armenia, and Ashgabat, Turkmenistan," he added.

Further, Jaiswal confirmed that, "one more flight is to come from or is on its way from Armenia and it will land later this evening. With that, we would have completed all the people who wish to be evacuated from Iran and they would be back home."

In Israel, 818 Indian nationals were evacuated in four flights. Due to Israel's closed airspace, Indians were taken to Jordan and Egypt, from where special flights were operated to bring them back home. The MEA expressed gratitude to the governments of Egypt, Jordan, and Israel for their support.

"As far as Israel is concerned, we have so far evacuated 818 Indian nationals in four flights. As you are aware, the airspace in Israel was closed, so we had to take our people to bordering countries, that is Jordan and Egypt, and from both these countries they were put on special flights and they came back home. We are thankful to the governments of Egypt, Jordan for this support," he said.

"Our embassies in Israel, in Jordan, in Egypt, collaborated very closely with the ministry headquarters here in mounting this operation. Once again, we'd like to thank the governments of Israel, Jordan, and Egypt for the support in Operation Sindhu," he added.

Jaiswal also thanked the governments of Iran for opening their airspace for evacuation.

"We made a request and they hope to open the airspace for us to evacuate our nationals. We are grateful to the government of Iran for this special gesture. We are also thankful to the government of Turkmenistan and Armenia for helping us evacuate our people," he said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rajesh K.
Proud of our government's swift action! 👏 Operation Sindhu shows India's commitment to its citizens abroad. The coordination with multiple countries is impressive diplomacy. Hope all our people return safely.
P
Priya M.
Good job by MEA, but why did it take so long? Many families were worried sick about their loved ones in conflict zones. We need faster response systems in place for future emergencies.
A
Amit S.
Salute to our diplomats working round the clock! The fact that we helped not just Indians but also Nepalese and Sri Lankans shows our 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' philosophy in action. 🇮🇳
N
Neha T.
The logistical challenges must have been enormous - closed airspace, multiple transit countries. Hope the returnees get proper counseling and support after such traumatic experiences.
S
Sanjay V.
While we appreciate the evacuation, why do so many Indians need to work in such dangerous zones? Government should create better job opportunities at home so people don't have to risk lives abroad.
K
Kavita R.
The international cooperation aspect is heartwarming - Iran opening airspace, Jordan and Egypt helping with transit. Shows India's goodwill globally. But let's not forget about Indians still stranded in other conflict areas too.

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