India Expands Operation Sindhu to Evacuate Nepali & Sri Lankan Nationals from Iran

As the Iran-Israel conflict intensifies into its ninth day, the Indian government has extended its evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu to include citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka. This decision follows formal requests from both neighbouring countries and reflects growing regional concern over the escalating crisis.

Operation Sindhu was initially launched to bring Indian nationals to safety amid deteriorating conditions in Iran. So far, 517 Indian citizens have been successfully evacuated through special flights and land routes, with efforts underway to assist more than 1,000 in total.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Indian Embassy in Tehran confirmed its coordination with the governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka to facilitate the evacuation of their citizens. “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,” the mission stated. Those seeking evacuation have been asked to contact the Embassy via its Telegram channel or through emergency helpline numbers: +98 9010144557, +98 9128109115, and +98 9128109109.

The Indian government also confirmed that Iran had made a rare exception by opening its restricted airspace to allow Indian-operated flights to assist in the evacuation. With most international carriers still barred due to missile and drone strikes, Tehran has approved three special flights from Mashhad to New Delhi, scheduled for Friday night and Saturday. An estimated 1,000 Indian students are expected to be brought home in this phase.

Earlier this week, a group of 110 students—mostly from Jammu and Kashmir—were evacuated from Urmia University in northern Iran. They crossed the land border into Armenia and then boarded flights to New Delhi. Others in the group were from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.

Parallel efforts are also underway in Israel, where Indian citizens are being guided toward evacuation through land borders, followed by air travel back to India. The Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv has issued advisories, urging nationals to remain vigilant and follow safety instructions provided by Israeli authorities and the Home Front Command.

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed the continued progress of Operation Sindhu. “A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, landed in New Delhi at 03:00 hours on June 21, bringing Indians from Iran home. With this, so far 517 Indian nationals from Iran have returned home under Operation Sindhu,” he said on X.

The conflict, which erupted on June 13 following Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets, has triggered a sustained response from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including drone and missile attacks on Israeli infrastructure. The security landscape across the region remains highly volatile, prompting urgent international evacuations.

India’s swift action under Operation Sindhu adds to its growing track record of emergency response missions in recent years. These include Operation Kaveri in Sudan (2023), Operation Ajay during the Israel-Hamas conflict (2023), Operation Ganga in Ukraine (2022), Operation Devi Shakti in Afghanistan (2021), and Operation Raahat in Yemen (2015), among others.

As tensions continue to mount, Indian authorities have reiterated their commitment to ensuring the safety of not just Indian citizens, but also those from neighbouring nations who have sought its support in these extraordinary times.

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