Iran has agreed to open its airspace for special evacuation flights, allowing nearly 1,000 Indian nationals—mostly students—who had been relocated from Tehran to safer cities, to return home. More such flights may be arranged in the coming days, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Friday.
India launched Operation Sindhu on Wednesday to evacuate its citizens from both Iran and Israel as tensions between the two countries escalated. The initial plan involved transporting people from Iran to Armenia and from Israel to Egypt or Jordan before flying them back to India.
“Iran’s airspace is closed, but we’re making arrangements to open it for the safe return of Indian nationals,” said Mohammad Javad Hosseini, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Iranian Embassy.
The Embassy of the I.R. of #Iran in New Delhi held a media briefing today to address the latest developments concerning the military aggression by the #Zionist regime against Iran.
The briefing was led by the Deputy Ambassador, who provided insights into the current situation pic.twitter.com/vms7Uh4eKq— Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) June 20, 2025
The 1,000 Indians were first moved from Tehran to Qom and then to Mashhad. Three special flights, operated by Iranian aircraft and arranged by Indian authorities, will bring them to New Delhi. The first flight is expected to land in Delhi on Friday night, followed by two more on Saturday.
Hosseini added that additional flights, including one on Sunday, may be scheduled if required. The Iranian Foreign Ministry is working in close coordination with India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Tehran.
“We are facilitating the departure of Indians who wish to leave, either by air or by road through other countries,” Hosseini said.
Separately, 110 Indian students, who had been moved from Tehran to Qom and then taken to Armenia by road, returned to Delhi on a flight from Yerevan on Thursday.
When the conflict began, around 10,000 Indians were in Iran, many of them students. Although the Indian government has not issued an official evacuation advisory, it has urged citizens to exercise caution, avoid non-essential travel, and consider leaving conflict zones. Officials have particularly advised Indians to leave Tehran.
Hosseini confirmed that all Indian nationals in Iran are safe, except for a few who were injured when an Israeli strike hit a student dormitory in Tehran. The building, which housed several Kashmiri students, was severely damaged. “I don’t know why Israel targeted the dormitory,” he said.
Three Indian students were reportedly injured in the attack.
India has thanked both Iran and Armenia for their assistance in the evacuation efforts. The Indian Embassy in Tehran continues to relocate citizens from high-risk zones and remains in touch with them via emergency helplines and a 24×7 control room set up in Delhi.
Since the conflict erupted, Iran and Israel have engaged in intense exchanges of missiles and drone strikes. The violence showed no signs of abating on Friday, with Israel reportedly targeting military sites in central and western Iran.
