The Crossbill News Desk
Amid escalating tensions with Israel and a near-total closure of its airspace, Iran is facilitating the evacuation of Indian nationals via special charter flights to Delhi.
The Iranian government has made exceptions to its airspace restrictions to allow the safe passage of evacuees, according to Mohammad Javad Hosseini, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Iranian Embassy in India.
At least three chartered flights are scheduled to bring Indian citizens from Mashhad in northeastern Iran to Delhi, Hosseini said on Friday. The first of these flights landed in the Indian capital at 11:30 pm on Friday, carrying 290 nationals, including students and religious pilgrims, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Official sources confirmed that a second flight is expected to arrive in Delhi around 3 am Saturday, originating from Ashgabat in Turkmenistan, located approximately 280 kilometers from Mashhad. Hosseini added that two more flights from Mashhad are scheduled for Saturday, completing a series of evacuations arranged in coordination with Indian authorities.
An estimated 1,000 Indian nationals were awaiting evacuation in Mashhad. Many had initially been relocated from Tehran to Qom, a religious city about 150 kilometers south of the Iranian capital, before being moved to Mashhad for the evacuation effort.
Asked about the closure of Iranian airspace amid the ongoing conflict, Hosseini acknowledged the restrictions but clarified that “special arrangements” had been made to ensure the chartered flights could operate for humanitarian reasons.
“We are making arrangements to open the airspace for the safe passage of evacuees,” he said.
The evacuations are part of India’s broader ‘Operation Sindhu’, a mission launched to bring home Indian nationals from conflict zones in the region. Earlier this week, 110 Indian students were flown back from Tehran via Qom and Yerevan, Armenia.
The Ministry of External Affairs also announced that evacuations from Israel will be coordinated through the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv, beginning with overland movement followed by flights.
The Iran-Israel conflict erupted last Friday after Israel launched airstrikes, claiming Tehran was nearing nuclear weapons capability—a claim Iran denies, asserting its nuclear program is entirely for civilian purposes. The continuing exchange of missile strikes has resulted in at least 24 deaths in Israel and over 200 in Iran, as per current estimates.
Amid the crisis, India called for de-escalation and expressed readiness to extend support. When asked about Tehran’s view of New Delhi’s response, Hosseini said Iran understands India's position but hopes for a stronger condemnation of Israeli actions.
“It’s not a matter of disappointment; we understand. But our expectation is more,” he said.
“Every country, including India, must condemn these aggressions—not just for Iran, but because such acts set a dangerous precedent.”
The Iranian government has made exceptions to its airspace restrictions to allow the safe passage of evacuees, according to Mohammad Javad Hosseini, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Iranian Embassy in India.
At least three chartered flights are scheduled to bring Indian citizens from Mashhad in northeastern Iran to Delhi, Hosseini said on Friday. The first of these flights landed in the Indian capital at 11:30 pm on Friday, carrying 290 nationals, including students and religious pilgrims, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Official sources confirmed that a second flight is expected to arrive in Delhi around 3 am Saturday, originating from Ashgabat in Turkmenistan, located approximately 280 kilometers from Mashhad. Hosseini added that two more flights from Mashhad are scheduled for Saturday, completing a series of evacuations arranged in coordination with Indian authorities.
An estimated 1,000 Indian nationals were awaiting evacuation in Mashhad. Many had initially been relocated from Tehran to Qom, a religious city about 150 kilometers south of the Iranian capital, before being moved to Mashhad for the evacuation effort.
Asked about the closure of Iranian airspace amid the ongoing conflict, Hosseini acknowledged the restrictions but clarified that “special arrangements” had been made to ensure the chartered flights could operate for humanitarian reasons.
“We are making arrangements to open the airspace for the safe passage of evacuees,” he said.
The evacuations are part of India’s broader ‘Operation Sindhu’, a mission launched to bring home Indian nationals from conflict zones in the region. Earlier this week, 110 Indian students were flown back from Tehran via Qom and Yerevan, Armenia.
The Ministry of External Affairs also announced that evacuations from Israel will be coordinated through the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv, beginning with overland movement followed by flights.
The Iran-Israel conflict erupted last Friday after Israel launched airstrikes, claiming Tehran was nearing nuclear weapons capability—a claim Iran denies, asserting its nuclear program is entirely for civilian purposes. The continuing exchange of missile strikes has resulted in at least 24 deaths in Israel and over 200 in Iran, as per current estimates.
Amid the crisis, India called for de-escalation and expressed readiness to extend support. When asked about Tehran’s view of New Delhi’s response, Hosseini said Iran understands India's position but hopes for a stronger condemnation of Israeli actions.
“It’s not a matter of disappointment; we understand. But our expectation is more,” he said.
“Every country, including India, must condemn these aggressions—not just for Iran, but because such acts set a dangerous precedent.”
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