A Mahan Air flight (W50071A) carrying over 300 Indian nationals, primarily students stranded in Iran, safely landed at Delhi Airport on Sunday, bringing an end to a period of intense anxiety and emotional turmoil for hundreds of families, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. The development comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East with the United States conducting airstrikes on Iran targeting the nuclear sites.
The evacuees included more than 200 students from Kashmir who had been studying in Iran and found themselves caught in the escalating conflict in the region. Their return brought visible relief to anxious relatives who had been enduring sleepless nights filled with uncertainty about their children's safety.
Total of 1428 Indian nationals evacuated: MEA
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the update on X, reaffirming India’s commitment to the safe repatriation of its citizens amid the escalating conflict in the region."#OperationSindhu continues. 311 Indian nationals arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 1630 hrs on 22nd June.1428 Indian nationals have now been evacuated from Iran," he posted along with pictures of the evacuees.
J-K students association thanks Indian Govt
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Indian Embassy in Iran for their timely and efficient intervention. “These students, who endured days of distress in war-zone Iran, have finally returned to the safety of their homeland and into the warm embrace of their waiting families,” the association said in a statement.
The Association also praised the swift coordination between Indian and Iranian authorities that ensured the evacuation during what it called a "very critical situation".