'Can't express what it feels like to be back home': Indian students return from Iran under Operation Sindhu

New Delhi: “The Indian government has done a lot for us, I can’t express what peace you feel when you reach your own country,” said an Indian national, after landing in Delhi from Mashhad, Iran, late Friday night.

The returnee, who had gone to Iran on a pilgrimage, was among 290 Indians evacuated under the government’s ‘Operation Sindhu’ amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel.

The flight brought back mostly students from Jammu and Kashmir, along with others from Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, and West Bengal. As they arrived at the airport, chants of ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ echoed through the terminal. Some evacuees were seen hugging each other, overwhelmed by the relief of being home.

One of the returning students, an MBBS scholar at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, described the experience as “a journey full of struggles,” but credited the Indian Embassy and the government for their timely intervention.

“Our parents were extremely worried. The help we received from our embassy was immense,” the student said.

The Ministry of External Affairs launched ‘Operation Sindhu’ last week to bring back Indian nationals stranded amid worsening conflict and air travel disruptions in the Middle East. On Thursday, 110 students had already arrived via Armenia and Doha.

#OperationSindhu flight brings citizens home.

🇮🇳 evacuated 290 Indian nationals from Iran, including students and religious pilgrims by a charter flight. The flight arrived in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 20 June and was received by Secretary (CPV& OIA) Arun Chatterjee.

Government… pic.twitter.com/ZORq0aeza5

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 20, 2025

Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa), MEA, confirmed the arrival of the third evacuation flight and said, “Out of the 290 Indians who landed today, 190 are from Jammu and Kashmir. It’s a matter of happiness that Iran opened its airspace to facilitate this operation. It reflects the strong ties between India and Iran.”

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, which coordinated closely with the authorities, issued a statement saying, “Heartfelt thanks to the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs, and all concerned authorities for their timely support. This is a great relief for families who had been anxiously waiting.”

Two more evacuation flights are expected to land later today, including one from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Overall, nearly 1,000 Indian nationals are being brought home under the ongoing effort.

Iran’s decision to allow use of its airspace played a critical role in making the mission possible, officials said.

Students and pilgrims were first moved from Tehran to Mashhad, where Iranian airline flights arranged in coordination with Indian authorities began ferrying them home.