19 Special Flights Bring Back 4,415 Indians From Iran And Israel: MEA (image-X/MEAIndia)
New Delhi: India has safely evacuated over 4,400 citizens from Iran and Israel amid escalating tensions and military hostilities between the two nations. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that 19 special flights, including three operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF), have brought Indian nationals home since Operation Sindhu began on June 18.
The latest batch of 173 Indians landed in New Delhi late Thursday night from Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, further increasing the total number of evacuees to 4,415, including 3,597 from Iran and 818 from Israel. The operation also helped with the evacuation of 14 OCI cardholders, 9 Nepali nationals, 4 Sri Lankans, and 1 Iranian woman, the wife of an Indian citizen.
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Although reports of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel have brought a degree of calm, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India continues to monitor the situation on the ground.
“We have around 10,000 Indian nationals in Iran and approximately 40,000 in Israel. Operation Sindhu was launched to ensure the safety of our citizens, and we are prepared to continue as needed,” Jaiswal stated at a press briefing.
A special evacuation flight from Yerevan, Armenia landed in New Delhi at 22:30 hrs on 26th June, bringing home 173 Indian nationals from Iran.
As part of #OperationSindhu, a total of 4415 Indian nationals (3597 from Iran and 818 from Israel) have been… pic.twitter.com/K6K0KW7iTu
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 26, 2025
Evacuations from Israel posed logistical challenges due to restricted airspace. Indian nationals were first moved by road to Jordan and Egypt, before being flown out. The IAF’s C-17 aircraft played a crucial role, especially in flying over 400 evacuees from the bordering nations. The Indian government expressed gratitude to Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Armenia for facilitating the operations.
Meanwhile, most Iranian evacuations were coordinated through the cities of Mashhad, Yerevan, and Ashgabat, with Iran lifting its airspace restrictions on June 20 to allow chartered flights to proceed.
Timeline of Evacuations
- June 18-20: Operation Sindhu begins; first chartered flights bring 290 Indians from Iran.
- June 21: 310 Indians arrive from Mashhad; another flight lands from Ashgabat.
- June 23: 290 Indians and 1 Sri Lankan evacuated following US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
- June 24-26: Over 1,100 citizens evacuated in 48 hours; major evacuations from Iran and Israel conducted using both chartered and military aircraft.
- June 26: 272 Indians and 3 Nepalis flown in from Mashhad; 296 Indians and 4 Nepalis evacuated from Iran in separate flights.
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Jaiswal emphasised the smooth coordination between Indian embassies in Tel Aviv, Amman, and Cairo, along with MEA headquarters in Delhi. He also acknowledged the support of the Iranian government, which enabled timely evacuations despite the ongoing conflict.
“India stands ready to play its part in resolving the crisis and believes in dialogue and diplomacy as the only way forward,” Jaiswal said, reiterating India’s position after the US claimed to have brokered a ceasefire.
