Iran has temporarily opened its typically restricted airspace exclusively for Indian evacuation flights amid ongoing tensions. This move is a part of Operation Sindhu, India’s emergency evacuation effort for the safe return of Indian Nationals, including at least 1,000 Indian students stranded in conflict zones of Iran to Delhi over the next two days, reported NDTV, today, Friday, June 20.
The first evacuation flight is set to arrive in Delhi at 11 pm IST (Indian Standard Time) tonight, Friday, June 20, 2025.
Two additional flights are planned for Saturday, June 21, 2025, with one departing in the morning and another in the evening.
Iran’s airspace remains largely shut to international flights due to recent missile exchanges and drone attacks between Israeli and Iranian forces.
As per reports, India has secured a special corridor to facilitate the safe evacuation of its citizens during this period of conflict.
India announced Operation Sindhu on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, to evacuate its nationals as the Iran-Israel conflict persists. The Iranian embassy in Delhi confirmed close coordination with the Indian mission in Tehran, especially after reports of injured students surfaced. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasised that India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad.
As per NDTV, over 4,000 Indian nationals reside in Iran, with approximately half being students. Earlier this week, 110 students from Urmia Medical University in West Azerbaijan province, near the Turkey border, a hotspot for recent missile activity and troop movements, were evacuated. They were transported by road to Yerevan, Armenia, and flown to New Delhi on a special flight that departed at 14.55 hours on June 18, landing in the early hours of June 19.
An MEA spokesperson expressed appreciation, stating, "The Indian government is grateful to the governments of Iran and Armenia for facilitating the safe passage of Indian nationals through their territories."
