The first of three chartered evacuation flights carrying Indian nationals from war-torn Iran landed in New Delhi late Friday night, ANI reported. The passengers, most of them students, had earlier been moved from Tehran to safer locations amid missile exchanges between Iran and Israel.
Iran on Friday temporarily relaxed airspace restrictions to allow the flight operation. More evacuation flights are expected to follow in the coming days, according to a Hindustan Times report.
J&K Students Among the Iran Evacuees
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association issued a statement after the arrival of the flight, saying “Mahan Air evacuation flight from Mashhad, Iran, carrying 290 students, the majority of whom are from Kashmir, has landed safely in New Delhi just now. Heartfelt thanks to the Government of India, the Ministry of External Affairs, and all concerned authorities for their timely intervention and support. A great relief for families who had been anxiously awaiting their return.”
Iran Facilitating Limited Air Access
Mohammad Javad Hosseini, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Iranian Embassy, told Hindustan Times that while Iran’s airspace remains closed due to the ongoing conflict, the government is“facilitating limited access for the safe evacuation of Indian nationals.”
According to reports quotinng Hosseini, about 1,000 Indians, mainly students enrolled in professional courses, had been relocated from Tehran to Qom and then to Mashhad. They are being flown back to India on three Iranian-operated charter flights arranged by the Indian government.
Hindustan Times quoting sources who are familiar with the evacuation efforts said two more chartered flights are scheduled to arrive on Saturday.
10,000 Indians in Iran
In a separate evacuation effort, a group of 110 Indian students who had been moved from Tehran to Qom and then taken by land to Armenia arrived in Delhi on Thursday on a flight from Yerevan.
There were about 10,000 Indians in Iran, many of them students, at the time when Israel launched its military action against Tehran.
The Indian government, as of now, has not formally advised citizens to leave Iran or Israel. However, it has urged nationals in both countries to remain cautious, limit movement, and relocate from high-risk areas such as Tehran when possible.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
