As the aircraft wheels touched the tarmac at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport late on Friday night, the cabin erupted in chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Hindustan Zindabad”. After days of fear, confusion, and isolation in conflict-hit Iran, 290 Indian students were finally home—safe.
The special evacuation flight marked the launch of Operation Sindhu, India’s coordinated mission to bring back nationals from Iran as the Israel-Iran conflict enters its second week. The arrival was the first in a series of scheduled operations, with two more flights, including one from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, expected to land later on Saturday.
The returnees—many of them medical students—were visibly emotional as they stepped onto Indian soil. Families waited in tearful anticipation, breaking into applause as their children crossed the arrival gate.
“The Indian government has done a lot for us. I can't express how peaceful you feel when you reach your own country,” one young evacuee said, after deboarding a flight from Mashhad. Others echoed similar sentiments, grateful for the swift response coordinated by the Indian Embassy in Tehran.
The crisis in Iran escalated rapidly, prompting emergency steps from both Indian and Iranian authorities. Mohammad Javad Hosseini, deputy chief of mission at the Iranian Embassy in Delhi, confirmed that Tehran had made exceptions to its ongoing airspace restrictions. “Iran’s airspace is currently closed, but we’re facilitating limited access for the safe evacuation of Indian nationals,” he said.
Hosseini added that more evacuation flights were being planned in close coordination with Indian officials. “We are arranging for the safe passage of Indians who want to leave via air or via road through third countries, or directly from Iran,” he said.
Also read: Indian students recall 'horror' of Iran-Israel war, thank GoI
Among the returnees was Sehrish Rafique, an MBBS student from Iran University of Medical Sciences, who told ANI: “The situation in Iran was quite devastating. At first, we didn’t expect that it would escalate so much. All Kashmiris are really thankful to the Indian government.”
Another student, Tazkiya Fatima from Noida, shared her ordeal: “There is a situation of war over there. We were not sure how we would make it out… But the Government of India made the whole process very smooth,” she said.
Mir Mohammad Musharraf, a student from Pulwama in Kashmir, recounted a particularly distressing episode. “We were stuck in Tehran, unaware of what to do. Our landlords also left and we were left behind. It was only our embassy that helped us reach here. Operation Sindhu is amazing and really helpful. The services were excellent.”
Several evacuees also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for initiating the evacuation mission. “We are truly grateful,” one of them said, their relief evident.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that out of the 290 returnees on the first flight, 190 were from Jammu and Kashmir. “It reflects the strong ties between India and Iran,” said Arun Kumar Chatterjee, secretary (consular, passport and visa) at MEA. “We are happy Iran opened its airspace to facilitate this operation.”
While no formal evacuation advisory has yet been issued, the government has urged Indian citizens in Iran and Israel to limit movement and remain vigilant. With an estimated 10,000 Indians—most of them students—present in Iran at the time of the flare-up, Indian authorities have been working to relocate them to safer cities such as Qom and Mashhad ahead of departure.
As the students walked into waiting arms at the Delhi airport, Operation Sindhu proved that for those stranded far from home, help was not just promised—it was delivered.
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