Operation Sindhu: Why is India evacuating Nepalese and Sri Lankan nationals from Iran?

The Indian Embassy in Iran has announced that its evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu will also cover citizens from Nepal and Sri Lanka. The embassy has said that it is making efforts at the request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Through a post on X, the embassy linked a Telegram channel and emergency contact number that the citizens can reach out to. It said, “On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy’s evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka.”

About 517 Indian nationals have already returned to India from Iran under Operation Sindhu, according to Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs. Taking to X on Saturday, he said, “A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan landed in New Delhi at 0300 hrs on 21st June, bringing Indians from Iran home.”

Operation Sindhu is India’s evacuation mission to bring home Indian nationals from the high-risk zones in Iran amid its ongoing conflict with Israel. Indian citizens have been safely flown across the country’s borders through special flights. Iran lifted airspace restrictions, owing to Israeli air strike, and allowed India to operate three evacuation flights from Mashhad to New Delhi. Many of those who were evacuated were students.

The conflict between Iran and Israel is currently in its ninth day and has only continued to escalate. The war began on June 13 when Israel launched a pre-emptive attack on Iranian leaders and nuclear enrichment sites claiming that the country is on the verge of obtaining nuclear weapons.

India has previously evacuated its citizens from similar conflict-ridden areas. Some include Operation Kaveri during military clashes in Sudan, Operation Ajay during the Israel-Hamas conflict and Operation Ganga during the Russia-Ukraine war.