New Delhi, June 26: Under the ongoing Operation Sindhu, a special flight carrying 272 Indian nationals and three Nepalese citizens landed safely in New Delhi from Mashhad, Iran, at 12:01 AM IST on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed.
This latest arrival pushes the total number of Indians evacuated from conflict-hit Iran to 3,426, with several Nepalese nationals also rescued during the mission.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the update on X (formerly Twitter):
“#OperationSindhu update: 272 Indian and 3 Nepalese nationals were evacuated from Iran on a special flight that arrived in New Delhi from Mashhad at 00:01 hrs on 26th June. 3426 Indian nationals have been brought home from Iran as part of #OperationSindhu.”
The rescued Nepalese citizens expressed deep gratitude for the Indian government’s assistance.
Gayatri Thapa, who had been living in Iran for a decade, said:
“The situation in Iran was very bad. It feels good to be back here. The Indian Government made a lot of arrangements and helped us a lot.”
Utsav Thapa, a student at Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan under the Indian Embassy in Iran, added:
“I’ve been in Iran for 9 years… I’m happy to be going home. Thank you, India.”
Another evacuee, Sagal, who spent 8 years in Iran, said:
“After the situation worsened, we received a call from the Indian Embassy. It feels great to be back. I thank the Indian Government and the Embassy.”
Indian nationals also expressed appreciation for the government’s swift response.
Syed Zeeshan Haider from Kanpur said:
“I went to Iran to study. The situation deteriorated, and the government rescued us. People in Tehran were living in fear due to continuous attacks from Israel.”
Syed Abbas from Ghazipur praised the evacuation coordination:
“The Embassy guided us at every step—from Tehran to Mashhad. I’m grateful to be home.”
Operation Sindhu was initiated in light of the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. The evacuation continued until a ceasefire agreement was reached on Tuesday, ensuring the safety of remaining Indian and allied nationals.