New Delhi, June 18, 2025
In a swift humanitarian response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) successfully evacuated 110 Indian students from conflict‑hit Iran—90 of whom hail from Jammu & Kashmir—under the codename Operation Sindhu. The evacuees, primarily medical students from Urmia Medical University, are scheduled to land in Delhi at 10:15 pm IST tonight, from where onward travel to Srinagar will be arranged free of cost ndtv.com.
5 Key Takeaways
- Operation Sindhu Launched: Initiated on June 18, 2025 to extract stranded Indian students amid escalating Iran–Israel hostilities economictimes.indiatimes.com.
- Majority from Kashmir: 90 out of 110 evacuees originate from Jammu & Kashmir, reflecting the region’s strong medical‑education ties with Iran ndtv.com.
- Land–Air Corridor: Students traveled by road from Urmia to Armenia before boarding an IndiGo flight to Delhi economictimes.indiatimes.com.
- Government Support: All flight arrangements, including the Delhi–Srinagar leg, were provided at no cost to the students ndtv.com.
- Ongoing Evacuations: Authorities remain on standby to repatriate remaining Indian nationals should the situation deteriorate further ndtv.com.
What Happened?
As tensions between Israel and Iran entered their sixth day—with reported airstrikes near Tehran and Iran’s hypersonic missile launches—Indian missions in Tehran and Bandar Abbas coordinated with local universities to secure safe passage for students. The Indian consulate in Bandar Abbas liaised with Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences to relocate 11 students to Yazd, citing instructions from senior MEA officials ndtv.com.
“We deeply appreciate this effort to ensure a smooth, full journey home,” the Jammu & Kashmir Students’ Association (JKSA) said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and MEA Minister S Jaishankar for their “timely evacuation effort” ndtv.com.
Expert Analysis
According to Prof. C. Raja Mohan, Head of Strategic Studies at the Observer Research Foundation, “Operation Sindhu underscores India’s evolving crisis‑response capabilities and its commitment to diaspora safety in volatile regions” eastasiaforum.org.
What’s Next?
- Further Evacuations: MEA has alerted all Indian nationals in Iran to register for assistance, with rapid‑response teams on standby.
- Diplomatic Channels: India continues to engage with Iranian authorities to keep land corridors open, facilitating cross‑border movement.
- Family Updates: A dedicated JKSA helpline (e.g., +91 91496 76014) remains operational to update anxious families in Jammu & Kashmir kashmirreader.com.
Fact‑Check
| Claim | Verification |
|---|---|
| “All 1,300 Kashmiri students in Iran have been evacuated.” | False. Only 110 students (90 from Kashmir) have been flown out so far; the rest remain in situ. |
| “Evacuation was arranged by private agencies.” | False. The operation is fully government‑led under MEA’s coordination. |
| “Students flew directly from Iran to India.” | Partially true. They crossed into Armenia by land and then flew into Delhi. |
Daily Digest
Stay updated on this developing story:
- June 19: Arrival & home‑ward journeys to Srinagar
- June 20: Status report on remaining Indian nationals
- Weekly: MEA press‑briefing highlights
