The Indian government successfully evacuated another batch of citizens, carrying 311 Indian nationals from Iran on Sunday as part of Operation Sindhu.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, 311 Indian nationals arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 1630 hours on Sunday.
Fresh Batch Lands in Delhi Under Operation Sindhu
In a post on X, MEA wrote, “#OperationSindhu continues. 311 Indian nationals arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 1630 hrs on 22nd June. 1428 Indian nationals have now been evacuated from Iran.”
#OperationSindhu continues.
311 Indian nationals arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 1630 hrs on 22nd June.
1428 Indian nationals have now been evacuated from Iran. pic.twitter.com/pJMaNhnQIg
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 22, 2025
Evacuees Praise Government’s Efforts
Speaking to ANI, Indians thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi after being evacuated from Iran under Operation Sindhu. The evacuees said that the situation in Iran is very grim.
An Indian national evacuated from Iran, Suja Ali, said that the embassy brought them to a safe zone.
He said, “I went to Iran on June 11, and the attacks started on June 12. I was in Qom. The embassy brought us to a safe zone 1200 km away. They gave us accommodation in a 5-star hotel and gave us good food. We were there for three days. And now we have been brought here today. When the attack happened this morning, we were at the airport and we thought that Iran might close its airspace. But it is PM Modi’s diplomacy and the Indian government’s arrangement that we reached here safely.”
Fear and Relief: Voices From the Ground
G Alama Jaan said, “The situation was worsening there. The Indian embassy brought us here. Now we will go from Delhi to Srinagar by bus. I am grateful to the government for bringing us here safely.”
Another evacuee, Nasreen Rizvi, said that they were very scared when the war started.
Previous Batch of 290 Also Returned Safely
Another special flight carrying 290 Indians stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Saturday night, bringing the total number of people evacuated under Operation Sindhu to 1,117.
This marks the fifth batch of Indians evacuated from Iran as part of the ongoing operation.
“290 Indian nationals have returned home safely from Iran on a special flight from Mashhad that landed in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 21 June 2025. With this, 1,117 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Iran,” MEA wrote on X.
Iran Threatens to Close Strait of Hormuz
After the US airstrikes on its nuclear installations, Iran is considering closing the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most strategically vital chokepoints in the world, and any blockade by Tehran would pose serious risks for Europe, EuroNews reported on Sunday.
Revolutionary Guard commander Sardar Esmail Kowsari told local media in an interview that closing the Strait of Hormuz “is under consideration, and Iran will make the best decision with determination,” as per EuroNews.
“Our hands are wide open when it comes to punishing the enemy, and the military response was only part of our overall response,” added Kowsari, who is a member of Iran parliament in addition to his military position.
European Energy Security at Risk
Earlier on Sunday, US President Donald Trump said the “very successful” strikes had hit the Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan underground nuclear sites in Iran.
According to EuroNews, Iran’s short- and medium-range missiles would be capable of targeting oil infrastructure platforms, pipelines in the Strait, or even attacking commercial vessels. Surface-to-surface missiles could target tankers or ports along the Gulf. Airstrikes using aircraft and drones could disable navigation or radar equipment at major shipping ports in the region.
Unmanned drones like Iran’s Shahed models could potentially be used to attack specific shipping lanes or infrastructure in the Strait. Iran could attempt to deploy warships to physically block access to the Strait. In 2012, Iran launched a cyberattack on Saudi Arabia’s oil industry, showing its growing capability in this domain, as per EuroNews.
Blocking the Strait was one of the Iranian responses to the conflict, including terrorist acts on mainland Europe, which security expert Claude Moniquet cited in an interview with Euronews.
It would be “a disaster for Europe”, the former French intelligence officer said.
Roughly 20 per cent of global oil and a significant portion of natural gas pass through the Strait. Europe imports oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Gulf states–Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE– much of which travels through the Strait. If Iran blocks it, global oil prices would spike, and Europe could face energy shortages, especially in countries dependent on Middle Eastern fuel, as per EuroNews.
(Except the headline and subheadings, the article has not been edited by NewsX desk, inputs from ANI)
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