In a major rescue effort, the first flight carrying over 100 Indian students from war-affected Iran reached New Delhi early Thursday morning. As tensions between Iran and Israel worsen, the Indian Embassy began evacuating students under a special operation called ‘Operation Sindhu.’
According to officials, 110 students were safely moved from Tehran to neighbouring Armenia before being flown home.
Operation Sindhu begins 🇮🇳.
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 18, 2025
India launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on 17th June. They departed from Yerevan on a… pic.twitter.com/8WJom7wh5f
J&K Students’ Group Thanks Indian Government
The Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association expressed deep gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for launching the evacuation mission. In a statement, the association said, “We remain hopeful that all remaining students will be evacuated soon.”
At the airport, emotional reunions took place as relieved parents embraced their children. Many families shared the fear and anxiety they had been living with for weeks.
Parents Share Relief and Ongoing Concerns
Haider Ali, the father of Maaz Haider—a 21-year-old MBBS student—thanked the Indian government for bringing his son back safely. However, he urged officials to act fast for those still stuck in Iran. “We are happy the students have come back safely, but others are still in danger,” he said.
Parvez Alam from Bulandshahr, whose son studies in Urmia, recalled the stress his family went through during the crisis. “The situation turned serious recently. We thank the Indian government—they moved the students to Armenia and ensured their safety,” he told PTI.
Students Describe Terrifying Experience in Iran
Some of the students who returned shared terrifying details of what they experienced in Tehran.
Mir Khalif, a medical student who boarded the first flight, described the horror. “Missiles flew over us. Our neighbourhood was bombed. It felt like war,” he said, adding that he hopes the rest of the students still in Iran will return home soon.
Ali Akbar, another student from Delhi, spoke about a chilling incident during their journey. “We saw a missile and a drone crash. Tehran has been devastated. The news coverage is accurate—it’s really bad,” he said.
Government Continues Efforts to Evacuate Remaining Students
Officials confirmed that the government is still working on relocating the remaining Indian students to safer locations. They plan to carry out more evacuations in the coming days once those students are in secure zones.