PTI, TEHRAN, JUNE 21, 2025 : India is evacuating all its citizens from Iran, the Indian mission here said on Saturday, amid Iran’s ongoing conflict with Israel. In a post on X, the Indian Embassy here provided emergency contact numbers and a link to a Telegram channel.
“The Indian Embassy in Iran is evacuating all Indian nationals in Iran. The Embassy may be contacted either on the Telegram channel or over the emergency contact numbers: +989010144557, +989128109115, +989128109109,” it said.
In another post, the embassy said that its evacuation efforts will also cover citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka. “On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy’s evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka,” it said. “The citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka may urgently reach out to the Embassy, either on the Telegram channel or over the emergency contact numbers: +989010144557; +989128109115; +989128109109,” it added.
In Colombo, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry also advised its citizens in Iran to contact the Indian Embassy in Tehran if they wish to leave the country. “The Government of Sri Lanka has made arrangements with the Government of India to assist Sri Lankans who wish to leave Iran by accommodating them in the flights,” the ministry said in an official release.
According to the Foreign Ministry, there are less than 100 Sri Lankan nationals in Iran, while some 20,000 are employed in Israel. In Kathmandu, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba’s secretariat said she requested the Indian government to rescue 16 Nepalese nationals who were stranded in Iran. Foreign Minister Deuba requested the Indian government, through Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava, to include the Nepali nationals during the evacuation of Indians from Iran.
Deuba took to X to thank External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for India’s swift assistance. “Thank you @DrSJaishankar for India’s swift assistance in helping to evacuate Nepali nationals from Iran. India’s support in Nepal’s evacuation efforts is a reflection of the strength of Nepal-India ties,” Deuba wrote.
Of the 16 Nepali nationals, five are currently in Iranian prisons due to immigration-related offences, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, adding, efforts are underway to secure their release and repatriation as part of the evacuation process.
Earlier in the day, a Mahan Air evacuation flight carrying 256 Indian students, the majority from the Kashmir Valley, landed safely at the Delhi airport on Saturday, bringing much-needed relief to their anxious families. The students, many of whom were stranded in Iran amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, appeared visibly exhausted but relieved after enduring days of fear and uncertainty in the conflict zone.
“Thanks to the Government of India for its efforts and timely coordination with Iranian authorities. We remain committed to ensuring the safe evacuation of all remaining students, especially those from vulnerable and remote regions,” the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association said in a statement.
The association also confirmed that another evacuation flight carrying Indian students is expected to arrive in the national capital around 11:30 pm. This was the second flight bringing back Indians from Iran within 24 hours under Operation Sindhu.
Another flight from Iran’s Mashhad, with 290 Indian students, mostly from Jammu and Kashmir, landed in Delhi late on Friday night. The Indian authorities, in coordination with their Iranian counterparts, facilitated the movement of stranded students from Tehran to Mashhad before boarding. Iran also opened its airspace in a special gesture to support the evacuation.
In all, nearly 1,000 Indian nationals are being brought home through a series of special flights. Two additional flights, including one from Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat (expected arrival around 3 am on Sunday), are also scheduled.
“Heartfelt thanks to the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs, and all concerned authorities for their timely intervention and support,” the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association reiterated, underlining the emotional relief experienced by families across the Union Territory.
The evacuations are part of Operation Sindhu, launched by the Ministry of External Affairs last week in response to the worsening conflict between Israel and Iran, which has severely disrupted regional air travel and left many Indian nationals stranded. On Thursday, 110 students were flown out via Armenia and Doha.
