Special Flight With 290 Indian Students Evacuated From Iran Under Operation Sindhu Lands In Delhi

Last Updated:June 21, 2025, 02:19 IST

This specific flight, an Iranian airline charter coordinated by Indian authorities, arrived at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 11.30 pm on Friday

A special flight from Mashhad, Iran, carrying 290 Indian students, primarily from Jammu and Kashmir, safely landed at the Delhi airport. On Thursday, June 19, an initial group of 110 Indian students, predominantly from Urmia University, had already arrived in Delhi. Image: MEA/X

In the thick of intensifying hostilities between Israel and Iran, the Indian government has initiated Operation Sindhu, a crucial mission to evacuate its nationals from West Asia. A significant milestone in this operation was achieved late on Friday, June 20, when a special flight from Mashhad, Iran, carrying 290 Indian students, primarily from Jammu and Kashmir, safely landed at the Delhi airport.

This specific flight, an Iranian airline charter coordinated by Indian authorities, arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 11.30 pm IST. The successful arrival provided immense relief to the students and their worried families, who had been stranded amid the worsening security situation in Iran due to recent large-scale aerial bombings and retaliatory missile attacks between Iran and Israel.

The flight was received by Arun Kumar Chatterjee, secretary (CPV & OIA) from the ministry of external affairs (MEA), who confirmed that 190 of the evacuees were from Jammu and Kashmir, with others hailing from Haryana, Delhi, and West Bengal.

The overarching goal of Operation Sindhu is to repatriate approximately 1,000 Indian nationals from Iran, including many students pursuing professional courses and religious pilgrims. In a notable display of cooperation, Iran made an exception to its airspace closure—imposed due to the ongoing conflict—allowing India’s evacuation flights. This facilitated the direct flight from Mashhad to Delhi. Earlier in the week, students were relocated from Tehran to safer cities like Qom and then to Mashhad to facilitate their departure.

This flight was not the first under Operation Sindhu. On Thursday, June 19, an initial group of 110 Indian students, predominantly from Urmia University, had already arrived in Delhi. These students were evacuated via a land route to Armenia, then flown from Yerevan to New Delhi. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah had been actively monitoring the situation, confirming that more students, primarily from his state, were being evacuated via land routes to Armenia before being airlifted.

The ministry of external affairs has stressed that the Indian government prioritises the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. They continue to monitor the situation closely and maintain constant communication with the Indian community in Iran. Additional flights are scheduled for Saturday, including one from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and another from Mashhad, to bring back more Indian nationals under Operation Sindhu.

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