Iran lifts airspace restrictions to evacuate 1,000 Indian students

New Delhi: In a special gesture, Iran has lifted airspace restrictions for three charter flights to evacuate about 1,000 Indian nationals, mostly students, from the Iranian city of Mashad. Mohammad Javad Hosseini, the deputy chief of mission at the Iranian embassy, said more evacuation flights could be operated in the coming days to bring back Indians if required. The Indian nationals were moved to Mashad from Tehran following Israeli attacks on the Iranian capital city.

Also read Some Indian students in Iran await evacuation, others relocated to safer places

The evacuation flights, to be operated by Iranian airline Mahan, are being arranged by New Delhi and the first flight is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Friday evening. Another flight, carrying Indian nationals from Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat will also land in Delhi. The Indians returning on the flight had left Iran through a land border crossing.

India launched Operation Sindhu on Wednesday to bring back its nationals from Iran and Israel in view of the precarious security situation arising out of Iran-Israel hostilities . The first charter flight carrying Indians is set to land in Delhi on Friday evening. "We consider Indians as our own people. Iran's airspace is closed but because of this issue, we are making arrangements to open it for the safe passage of Indian nationals," Hosseini said at a media briefing.

Evacuation Plan: Three flights

"We consider Indian nationals to be our own people. They are like Iranians," he added. "About 1,000 Indians, who were relocated from Tehran to Qom and then to Mashad, will be evacuated to New Delhi on three charter flights," Hosseini said. "The first flight will land tonight at the New Delhi airport and there will be two more flights on Saturday," he said.

The Iranian diplomat said more such flights could be arranged in the coming days if required. Hosseini said Tehran is in close contact with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian embassy in Iran to ensure safe evacuation of Indian nationals . "We are arranging for the safe passage of Indians who want to leave via air or via road through third countries or directly from Iran," he said.

The Iranian diplomat also said that all Indians in Iran are safe. At the same time, he said a few Indian students sustained injuries after an Israeli air strike hit a students' dormitory in Tehran a few days back. A total of 110 Indian students were brought back to India on Thursday after they were moved from Iran to Armenia through a land border crossing. Hosseini said about 10,000 Indians are living in Iran and those wishing to return home are being evacuated. The Israel-Iran military hostilities began more than a week back.