‘We Never Expected This...’: Evacuated Indian Students from War-Torn Iran Land in Delhi, Share Their Harrowing Ordeal | Watch

Israel-Iran Conflict: A special evacuation flight carrying 290 Indian students who were stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in Delhi late on Friday night. This marked the first successful phase of India's "Operation Sindhu," aimed at bringing back its citizens from the region affected by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

Despite Iran’s airspace being closed due to the conflict, Iranian authorities allowed these flights to pass through.

Mohammad Javad Hosseini, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Iranian embassy in Delhi, confirmed this, saying, “Iran’s airspace is currently closed, but we’re facilitating limited access for the safe evacuation of Indian nationals.”

Iran's Cooperation with India

The opening of Iran’s airspace for these evacuation flights is being seen as a significant diplomatic move, reflecting the strong relationship between India and Iran. Hosseini also mentioned, “We are coordinating closely with the Indian government, and additional flights may be arranged in the coming days.”

On Saturday, two more chartered flights were expected, including one from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, further assisting with the evacuation efforts.

Evacuated Students Share Their Experiences

Upon arrival in Delhi, many expressed their relief and gratitude. Chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Hindustan Zindabad" could be heard at the airport as students arrived back in India.

One student from Mashhad shared, "The Indian government has done so much for us. I can’t describe how peaceful it feels to be back in our country," she said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Sehrish Rafique, an MBBS student at Iran University of Medical Sciences, spoke of the terrifying situation in Iran: “The situation was devastating. We never expected it would escalate so quickly. All Kashmiris are deeply grateful to the Indian government,” she said.

Tazkiya Fatima, a student from Noida, shared her experience: “There was a war-like situation there. We didn’t know how we would get out. But the Indian government made the entire process very smooth.”

Mir Mohammad Musharraf, a student from Pulwama, Kashmir, recalled being stuck in Tehran: “We didn’t know what to do. Our landlords had left, and we were stranded. The Indian embassy helped us get out. Operation Sindhu has been a great help. The services were excellent."

Many evacuees also expressed their thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating their safe return.

We are really thankful to PM Modi and the entire government for making this possible,” one of the students said.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), out of the 290 evacuees, 190 were from Jammu and Kashmir. 

Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary for Consular, Passport, and Visa Services, MEA, added, “Iran’s decision to open its airspace highlights the strong ties between India and Iran.”

Around 10,000 Indians, mostly students, had been living in Iran when the conflict escalated.

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