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Mint
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Iran eases airspace restrictions for India; students and pilgrims among 1,000 Indians to return from Mashhad
In an exemption for India, Iran will ease airspace restrictions for three evacuation flights, which will bring back around 1,000 Indians. According to sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), majority of these Indians are students and pilgrims who were moved to Tehran from Mashhad. The three flights – one of which will reach India late on Friday night – will be operated by Iranian airlines. Two more flights are expected to reach India by tomorrow afternoon. Assuring India that all its citizens are safe in Iran, officials said more flights will be organised if needed. Iran shut its airspace until further notice after Israel carried out air strikes on multiple targets across the country, including the capital, Tehran, on June 13. The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran in view of the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. Arriving in New Delhi from the conflict zone in Iran under India's Operation Sindhu, Indian students expressed their gratitude to the central government for evacuating them directly from their doorstep. They described the situation in Iran as "bad", noting that people there are extremely "scared". An Indian student, Sheikh Afsa, on board the flight carrying 110 nationals under Operation Sindhu, praised the government's efforts to ensure a safe evacuation upon returning to Delhi, saying that the government evacuated them 'from their doors'. "We are happy to return here, but we are also worried about our studies. The situation there (Iran) is bad, and people are scared. The (Indian) government literally evacuated us from our dormitory, from our doors; we didn't even expect this much. They helped us at every step; no one faced any problem, and we are grateful to the central government for the role they played in evacuating us," she told ANI. Another evacuated student expressed his gratitude to the Indian government, saying that he was safely back home because of their efforts. "I am happy that I am back in our country. We didn't see any such thing in Urmia, but in other places across Iran, the situation was bad... The government of India helped a lot; that is why we are back home," he stated. The Indian government has decided to evacuate from Israel those Indian nationals who wish to leave, the MEA said in a statement on Thursday. According to the MEA, their travel from Israel to India will be facilitated through the land borders and thereafter by air to India. The Embassy of India in Tel Aviv would be making arrangements for the evacuation of Indians. All Indian nationals are requested to register themselves with the Embassy of India in Tel Aviv at ( if not already registered. In case of any queries, they may contact the 24/7 Control Room established at Embassy of India, Tel Aviv: telephone numbers: 972 54-7520711; 972 54-3278392; email: The Embassy also reiterates its earlier advisories urging all Indian citizens in Israel to remain vigilant and strictly follow the safety guidelines issued by Israeli authorities and the Home Front Command. "Indian government accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely," the MEA said, adding that the embassy remains continuously in touch with the community with a view to extending all feasible assistance.
India.com
19-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Kashmiri Students Rescued From Conflict-Hit Iran, Praise Centre
It's jubilee time for two medical college friends, Humaira Saadiq and Sheikh Afsa, as they landed safely at Srinagar Airport. They consider themselves lucky to be rescued by the Government of India from war-torn Iran. It took them four days, moving from one city to another, to cross the Iran border into Armenia, from where they were airlifted by an Indian aircraft to return home. Upon arrival in the Kashmir Valley, the Kashmiri students wholeheartedly appreciated the Indian Embassy for arranging transport to the airport and ensuring their security amid the conflict. They also expressed immense gratitude for the coordination of the central government. The leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was praised for their herculean efforts that enabled the students' safe return to India. "I am feeling very good and calm. It was a very hectic journey for us. I feel so relieved to see my parents and be back home. The Government of India made 110 percent efforts to evacuate us. They did everything within their control. We are very thankful to them. We didn't get any sleep; sometimes we didn't even have food or water. But we kept going with the hope of seeing our parents—and we made it. It was a very bad situation. We didn't think we would survive, but we did," Humaira Saadiq said. "I'm relieved to be home. Our families were under so much stress because of us. We kept trying to assure them that we were safe, but as parents, their concern was natural. We are so happy to be with them now and feel very safe. Mentally, we are still distressed by the situation. The last few days were very disturbing. We were terrified after seeing the bombings. The MEA did so much for us," Sheikh Afsa, another student, added. Out of the 94 students who reached India this morning, many flew directly to their homes in Kashmir. For the others, the UT Government arranged buses from Delhi to Kashmir, which are scheduled to reach the valley on June 20. While the evacuation was widely praised, students faced logistical challenges upon arriving in Delhi. The Jammu and Kashmir government arranged State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses to transport the students to Srinagar. However, many criticized the poor condition of the buses and the decision to make them travel by road after their traumatic 4-day journey from Iran via Armenia and Doha. Some felt the students were 'dumped' into SRTC buses. The People's Democratic Party (PDP) strongly criticized the government's treatment of the students, calling it a government failure. "It's very unfortunate that our children, who were already traumatized in Iran, were rescued to Delhi—and then completely neglected. The state government should have received and consoled them. Instead, there was no support. The onward journey was in RTC buses when they should have been flown home. The state government is showing insensitivity toward its own children. We are thankful to the central government for the swift evacuation, but we must be more caring towards our children. Mehbooba Mufti is in touch with the MEA, and our only concern is ensuring that all students return safely to Kashmir," the PDP Spokesperson added. The bus issue sparked widespread criticism of the Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government. Even parents expressed dissatisfaction, saying that while they were thankful for the rescue, the state must be better prepared for the next batch of students. Zahoor Ahmed, a parent, said, "We found out about the Iran attacks on Friday. When we saw the intensity, we were extremely worried. The internet there was slow, and communication was difficult. We contacted our local MP, who got in touch with the MEA. We're very thankful for their swift response. We expected the state government to bring our children home by air, not by buses. Their response was very poor." The office of then-Chief Minister Omar Abdullah acknowledged the complaints and said the confusion was due to miscommunication. They clarified that 'proper deluxe buses' had been arranged for the onward journey to Kashmir. Tanveer Saadiq, Chief Spokesperson of the National Conference and MLA, said, "We arranged deluxe buses from Delhi to Srinagar. The parents were extremely distressed. We will continue working until all our students are back from Iran. It was a big challenge for the MEA to bring them from Iran to Armenia due to the difficult terrain." The evacuation of Kashmiri students from Iran was conducted under Operation Sindhu, a significant effort by the Indian Government to ensure the safety of its citizens amid the escalating Iran-Israel conflict. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reported that over 600 Indian students, primarily from Jammu and Kashmir, were relocated to safer areas within Iran, such as Qom, before further evacuation. Additional flights are being planned. The Indian Embassy in Tehran has set up a 24/7 emergency helpline for students still stranded in Iran. As the situation there continues to worsen, families are growing more concerned and are urging the government to speed up evacuation efforts for their children.
India Gazette
19-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Students from J-K thank Centre for their evacuation from war-torn Iran
New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): Students from Jammu and Kashmir, evacuated from war-torn Iran, thanked the Centre but criticised the J-K government for the poor-quality buses used to transport them from Delhi to their hometowns. 'We are tired after such a long journey. The central government and the Indian embassy did such a good job that we didn't feel any problem - it wasn't like we were being evacuated, as everything was so smooth,' a student told ANI. 'We hadn't felt we would have any issue as we were to go home, and the state government would take care of it further. But, the buses being provided are in such a bad condition. 2 hours back, CM Omar Abdullah tweeted about this, but nothing has happened yet,' he added. Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's office informed that he had 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 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,' the chief minister's office said in a post on X. Students who have been evacuated under Operation Sindhu from conflict-affected Iran raised issues about the buses that the J&K government is providing for them to travel to their home state. 'The buses that have been provided are in such bad condition that even animals will not travel in them. We can't go in such buses, and our safety could have been compromised. We are here (in Delhi) and for that we are thankful to the central government as they have evacuated us smoothly, we faced no problem till here, but we are having a problem here now,' a student told ANI. The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran, given the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. An Indian student, Sheikh Afsa, on board the flight carrying 110 nationals under Operation Sindhu, praised the government's efforts to ensure a safe evacuation upon returning to Delhi, saying that the government evacuated them 'from their doors'. 'We are happy to return here, but we are also worried about our studies. The situation there (Iran) is bad, and people are scared. We even received calls from people in Iran, who said the situation in Iran is very critical. The (Indian) government evacuated us from our dormitory, from our doors; we didn't even expect this much. They helped us at every step; no one faced any problem, and we are grateful to the central government for the role they played in evacuating us,' she told ANI. (ANI)
India Gazette
19-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
J-K CM acts on students' complaint, orders upgrade of buses for Iran evacuees
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 19 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah 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 chief minister's office informed on Thursday. '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,' the chief minister's office said in a post on X. Students who have been evacuated under Operation Sindhu from conflict-affected Iran raised issues about the buses that the J&K government is providing for them to travel to their home state. 'The buses that have been provided are in such bad condition that even animals will not travel in them. We can't go in such buses, and our safety could have been compromised. We are here (in Delhi) and for that we are thankful to the central government as they have evacuated us smoothly, we faced no problem till here, but we are having a problem here now,' a student told ANI. The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran, given the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. Indian students expressed their gratitude to the Central government for evacuating them directly from their doorstep. They described the situation in Iran as 'bad', noting that people there are extremely 'scared'. An Indian student, Sheikh Afsa, on board the flight carrying 110 nationals under Operation Sindhu, praised the government's efforts to ensure a safe evacuation upon returning to Delhi, saying that the government evacuated them 'from their doors'. 'We are happy to return here, but we are also worried about our studies. The situation there (Iran) is bad, and people are scared. We even received calls from people in Iran, who said the situation in Iran is very critical. The (Indian) government evacuated us from our dormitory, from our doors; we didn't even expect this much. They helped us at every step; no one faced any problem, and we are grateful to the central government for the role they played in evacuating us,' she told ANI. (ANI)
