Key Points

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even during a global crisis, India prioritises ensuring its citizens' security. In the middle of an ongoing war, a conflict-ridden country like Iran opening its airspace is a big win for India's foreign policy, diplomacy and India's reliability," Tarun Chugh said while speaking to ANI.

"'Operation Sindhu' is not only a homecoming of Indian students but is a live example of the PM Narendra Modi government's 'nation first' policy. Even earlier, during the Russia-Ukraine war or any natural calamity, India has given priority to security for its citizens," he said.

Meanwhile, a special flight carrying 290 Indians stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Saturday night, bringing the total number of evacuees under Operation Sindhu to 1,117.

This marks the fifth batch of Indians evacuated from Iran as part of the ongoing operation.

In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, "Operation Sindhu gains momentum. 290 Indian nationals have returned home safely from Iran on a special flight from Mashhad that landed in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 21 June 2025."

"With this, 1,117 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Iran," the MEA added.

The evacuees, including students, shared their experiences of the tense situation in Iran and expressed deep gratitude to the Indian government and embassy officials.

An Indian national from Bihar's Siwan, studying medicine at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, said, "I am from Siwan, Bihar. I have been in Iran for the last 2 years. I study medicine at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The situation in Tehran is critical. Other places are normal. I am thankful to the government (for the evacuation)."

Another evacuee, Naveed, a second-year MBBS student, added, "I am from Kashmir. I am a 2nd-year MBBS student. I feel very good now. I am thankful to India. They evacuated us."Describing the fear they faced, one evacuee said, "I feel very good. There were missiles firing. We were feeling very afraid there. We were stuck there for 1 week."

Momin Ushtaq from Kashmir praised the government's efforts, saying, "I am from Kashmir. The situation is not good there. We are very thankful to the government of India, Kashmir, and the Embassy. They deserve a special thanks, as they evacuated us and brought us back home."

Gratitude was also directed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Parveen, another evacuee, said, "I am very happy. I am thankful to PM Modi from the bottom of my heart. Our government helped us to get back here." Indira Kumari added, "We have returned. I am thankful to the Indian government and the Prime Minister of India."

Earlier on Saturday, a special flight from Mashhad carrying 310 Indian nationals landed in New Delhi at 4:30 PM.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes targeted a significant nuclear facility in Iran's Isfahan province, as reported by Al Jazeera.

As per Al Jazeera, citing an Israeli military spokesperson, the air force struck the main complex as well as buildings involved in centrifuge production.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that a centrifuge manufacturing workshop was hit but clarified that no nuclear material was present at the site, so there were no radiological impacts.

- ANI