Operation Sindhu: Flight carrying 100 Indian students evacuated from Iran via Armenia lands in Delhi

The first flight carrying over 100 Indian students evacuated from war-hit Iran landed in New Delhi in the early hours of Thursday. Amid the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, 110 students were moved from Tehran to Armenia under ‘Operation Sindhu’, an initiative led by the Indian Embassy.

The Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for initiating the evacuation. “We remain hopeful that all remaining students will be evacuated soon,” the association said in a statement.

At the airport, emotional scenes unfolded as anxious parents waited to reunite with their children.

Haider Ali, father of 21-year-old MBBS student Maaz Haider, thanked the government for the safe return but urged immediate evacuation of those still stranded in Tehran. “We are happy the students have come back safely, but others are still in danger,” he said.

Parvez Alam, whose son studies in Urmia, recalled the stress his family faced. “The situation turned serious recently. We thank the Indian government—they moved the students to Armenia and ensured their safety,” the Bulandshahr resident told PTI.

Mir Khalif, a medical student who returned on the flight, described the fear they endured. “Missiles flew over us. Our neighbourhood was bombed. It felt like war,” he said, while expressing hope for the safe return of others still in Iran.

Another student, Ali Akbar from Delhi, recounted a chilling moment on their bus journey: “We saw a missile and a drone crash. Tehran has been devastated. The news coverage is accurate—it’s really bad.”

Officials said efforts are underway to relocate remaining students to safer zones before further evacuation.