India to Evacuate Nepalese and Sri Lankan Citizens from Iran as Conflict Escalates » Capital News

June 23 – New Delhi/Tehran – June 23 – India has expanded its ongoing evacuation mission in Iran to include citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka, following official requests from the two governments.

The move comes as tensions escalate sharply in the region due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, and the recent U.S. bombing of key Iranian nuclear sites.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the Indian Embassy in Tehran confirmed: “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 decision underscores India’s regional role as a crisis responder and humanitarian partner.

India launched Operation Sindhu earlier this week to evacuate its nationals trapped in Iran amid deteriorating security conditions. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 517 Indian nationals have been brought home so far. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced that a special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, landed in New Delhi at 3:00 a.m. on June 21 carrying Indians evacuated from Iran.

The need for urgent evacuation intensified after the United States launched coordinated airstrikes on June 20, targeting three major Iranian nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. The strikes, ordered by President Donald Trump, were carried out in response to mounting regional instability and alleged threats from Tehran. Trump described the operation as a success and stated that all U.S. planes had exited Iranian airspace safely.

The U.S. strikes followed Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13, which targeted Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure. Iran responded with its own large-scale counter-offensive—Operation True Promise 3—which saw the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fire drones and missiles at Israeli jet fuel facilities and energy supply centres. The confrontation between Iran and Israel has now stretched into its ninth day, sparking fears of a wider regional war and threatening key global trade routes, including the Strait of Hormuz.

India’s decision to include Nepalese and Sri Lankan citizens in its evacuation efforts demonstrates its commitment to regional solidarity. Both Nepal and Sri Lanka, which do not have significant diplomatic or logistical capacity in Iran, had formally requested India’s assistance in securing the safety of their nationals.

Operation Sindhu is the latest in a series of major evacuation efforts by India in recent years. These include Operation Kaveri during the Sudan conflict in 2023, Operation Ajay amid the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, Operation Ganga during the 2022 Ukraine crisis, and Operation Devi Shakti following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. India has also led maritime evacuations such as Operation Samudra Setu during the COVID-19 pandemic and Operation Raahat during the Yemen crisis in 2015. In 2011, Operation Safe Homecoming was launched to rescue Indian nationals during the civil war in Libya.

As the Iran-Israel conflict intensifies and the humanitarian situation worsens, India is closely coordinating with its regional allies and remains prepared to scale up evacuations. The Indian government has assured continued support to all citizens in distress, including those from neighbouring countries, as long as the conflict persists.