Operation Sindhu: How India rescued its first batch of nationals from Iran

India has begun ‘Operation Sindhu’ to bring home its citizens stuck in Iran as the conflict between Tehran and Israel worsens.

The first group, made up of over 100 students, arrived in Delhi early on Thursday.

Around 4,000 Indians are said to be living in Iran, with nearly half of them being students.

Read Israel Iran conflict live updates here.

Tensions in West Asia rose sharply after Israel launched Operation Rising Lion on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing senior military officers and nuclear scientists.

Iran responded with Operation True Promise 3, firing ballistic missiles at Israel.

In this explainer, we look at what ‘Operation Sindhu’ is and how Indian students are being brought back from Iran amid the rising tensions in West Asia.

Here is a look:

India launches Operation Sindhu: All you need to know

As part of Operation Sindhu, a flight carrying 110 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran reached Delhi early Thursday morning.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that in the first phase of the operation, students were moved from the northern region of Iran and travelled by road to Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, on June 17.

They then boarded a special flight at 2:55 pm on June 18 and landed in New Delhi in the early hours of June 19.

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The Indian government has been closely observing the situation and taking steps over the past several days to make sure Indian citizens in Iran remain safe.

Indian nationals in Iran have been advised to keep in touch with the Indian Embassy in Tehran and the 24/7 Control Room set up by the MEA in New Delhi.

Emergency helplines are also running to offer help and guidance to those still in affected areas.

The government thanked the Iranian and Armenian authorities for their support in making the evacuation process smooth.

On June 15, the Indian Embassy in Iran released an advisory asking all Indian citizens and persons of Indian origin to stay connected, avoid unnecessary travel, and follow the Embassy’s social media pages for updates.

Row over bus conditions for students evacuated from Iran

Some Indian students brought back from Iran were unhappy with the buses arranged by the Jammu and Kashmir government to take them home from Delhi.

Shaikh Afsa, a resident of Kashmir, told NDTV that the buses were not in a “stable condition” and that she had asked Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to provide better transport.

The Chief Minister’s office said in a statement that it had “taken note” of the students’ request and was working with the Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation to arrange “proper deluxe buses.”

The statement read, “The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged.”

Why evacuating Indians from Iran is not as simple as Ukraine

When war broke out in Ukraine in 2022, the Indian government acted quickly. In just a few weeks, more than 22,000 students and citizens were flown home under Operation Ganga, a major airlift effort.

Over 90 flights, including 14 by the Indian Air Force, took off from nearby countries such as Poland, Hungary and Romania.

Now, in 2025, the world is facing another crisis, this time in Iran. Israeli airstrikes and fears of a wider regional conflict have put thousands of Indians in danger. But unlike Ukraine, following the same evacuation plan has proven extremely difficult.

One reason is geography. Ukraine shares borders with several friendly countries, and its western parts remained mostly safe in the early days of the war. That made it easier for Indian nationals to travel by bus or train to nearby borders. From there, officials helped them cross into safer places, where flights were arranged to bring them home.

Iran presents a different set of challenges. It shares its eastern border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, neither of which is an easy route for Indian citizens. Pakistan has kept its airspace closed to Indian planes since Operation Sindoor, and Afghanistan remains difficult to access safely.

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Another option, Azerbaijan, has openly supported Pakistan at international forums, limiting India’s options even further. That leaves only Armenia and Turkmenistan as possible routes.

Armenia has become the preferred choice due to its stable ties with India, proximity to northern Iran, and neutral stance in the conflict. However, even this route involves long road journeys through risky areas before evacuation flights can be arranged.

Major Indian evacuations from conflict zones: A look back

This is not the first time India has launched an operation to bring back citizens from conflict zones.

In 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, the Indian government carried out one of its largest evacuations ever. Between August and October that year, nearly 1.75 lakh Indians were flown home.

The effort was so large that Air India entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of people moved by a civilian airline.

More recently, in 2023, India launched Operation Ajay to bring back citizens from Israel during the conflict with Hamas.

In 2022, during the Russia-Ukraine war, Operation Ganga was launched to evacuate Indian students. Senior ministers were sent to four neighbouring countries to coordinate the effort. The operation successfully brought back 18,282 Indians.

In 2015, during the conflict in Yemen, Operation Raahat was launched. The Indian armed forces helped evacuate 6,710 people, including 4,748 Indians and 1,962 foreigners.

Earlier, in 2011, Operation Safe Homecoming was carried out to rescue Indians during the Libyan Civil War. It involved both the Indian Navy and Air India, using air and sea routes to bring people home. After more than 15,000 Indian nationals were evacuated, the operation came to an end.

With inputs from agencies