‘We Were Terrified, But Now We’re Safe’: First Batch of Evacuated Students from War-Hit Iran Returns to India

New Delhi: In a major relief operation, the first flight carrying over 100 Indian students evacuated from conflict-hit Iran landed safely in Delhi during the early hours of Thursday. The group of students, stranded in the region amid rising hostilities between Iran and Israel, was brought back to India under the government’s swift and coordinated mission titled Operation Sindhu.

The Indian Embassy in Tehran played a crucial role in orchestrating the evacuation. On Tuesday, 110 students were successfully transported from Tehran and escorted across the land border into Armenia. From there, arrangements were made to airlift them to India, marking a successful culmination of the initial phase of the evacuation process.

Upon their arrival, the students expressed immense relief and gratitude towards the Indian authorities. Varta, a student from Kashmir, recalled the tense environment they endured. “We were the first ones to be evacuated from Iran. The situation was quite critical. We were terrified. We thank the Indian government and the Indian embassy who worked very fast and swiftly to bring us here,” she said.

Describing the moment Indian officials reached out, she added, “Our neighbourhood was attacked. When the Indian government came to our doorstep it felt like home.” She also appreciated the Armenian authorities for their support during the transit.

Another student shared that while the area of Urmia where he was studying remained relatively calm, other regions were severely affected. “I am happy that I am back to our country. We didn’t see any such thing in Urmia, but in other places across Iran, the situation was bad. The Government of India helped a lot, which is why we are back home.”