New Delhi, June 22 : India will assist in evacuating Nepali and Sri Lankan nationals stranded in Iran amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, in a diplomatic move underscoring its “Neighbourhood First” policy, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday.
The announcement came after formal requests from the governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, and marks a widening of Operation Sindhu, which has already brought home hundreds of Indian citizens from Iran following regional escalations.
“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,” the Indian Embassy in Tehran posted on X.
India has issued emergency helpline numbers and urged affected nationals of the two countries to contact the embassy urgently through Telegram or directly via designated phone lines.
Two additional flights operated by Iran’s Mahan Air landed in New Delhi on Friday. One of them, from Mashhad, carried 310 Indian nationals, taking the total number of evacuees under Operation Sindhu to 827, according to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
“Another evacuation flight from Mashhad landed in New Delhi at 1630 hrs on 21 June… a total of 827 Indians have been evacuated,” Jaiswal said.
The move has been welcomed by both Nepal and Sri Lanka.
“India’s support in Nepal’s evacuation efforts is a reflection of the strength of Nepal-India ties,” said Nepal’s Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, thanking External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
“India has always extended invaluable support during emergencies… whether it involves evacuating Nepali citizens or aiding during earthquakes,” said Dr. Shankar P Sharma, Nepal’s Ambassador to India.
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed gratitude.
“This act of solidarity exemplifies the strong and enduring partnership between Sri Lanka and India,” the ministry said in a statement.
India has consistently evacuated foreign nationals in previous emergencies, including:
- Operation Ganga (2022) during the Russia-Ukraine conflict;
- Operation Ajay (2023) from Israel;
- COVID-19 evacuations (2020) from Wuhan;
- Operation Maitri (2015) following the Nepal earthquake.
Operation Sindhu includes both special flights from Iran and land routes via Armenia.
Officials in Delhi say the initiative reflects India’s commitment to regional cooperation and humanitarian responsibility.
“India’s approach is rooted in its Neighbourhood First policy – providing timely assistance during conflict, disaster, or crisis,” a government official said.
The ongoing conflict in the region has prompted several countries to scale up evacuation efforts, with India now expanding its role to help neighbouring nationals amid rising regional instability.
