Tehran, June 22: Amid intensifying hostilities between Iran and Israel following the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, India evacuated 311 more Indian nationals from Mashhad, bringing the total number of evacuees under Operation Sindhu to 1,428, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday.
“Three-hundred eleven Indian nationals arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 1630 hours on June 22,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed. He noted that these evacuations are part of an ongoing mission to ensure the safety of Indians in conflict-affected zones.
India launched Operation Sindhu last week in response to the rapidly worsening situation in the Persian Gulf, where tensions between Iran and Israel have erupted into open conflict. The two countries have exchanged hundreds of missiles and drone strikes on cities, military installations, and strategic sites since hostilities began more than a week ago.
The latest round of violence escalated after US stealth bombers struck three fortified Iranian nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—early Sunday, marking a significant expansion of Western involvement in the conflict.
India has been operating chartered evacuation flights from Mashhad (Iran), Yerevan (Armenia), and Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) since Wednesday. According to officials, Iran lifted airspace restrictions on Friday to facilitate three chartered Indian flights from Mashhad, enabling smoother and safer extraction of civilians.
The MEA reiterated that it is closely monitoring the evolving regional dynamics and remains in constant touch with its embassies to coordinate further evacuations if needed.
