Nepal thanks India for assisting evacuation of students from Iran

Kathmandu -  Foreign Minister of Nepal, Dr Arzu Rana Deuba, has thanked External Affairs Minister of India, Dr S Jaishankar, for assisting in the evacuation of Nepali students from conflict-hit Iran.

In a post on X, Deuba wrote, "Thank you External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar for India's swift assistance in helping to evacuate Nepali nationals from Iran. India's support in Nepal's evacuation efforts is a reflection of strength of Nepal- India ties."

She, however, did not specify how many Nepali students were evacuated with the help of the Indian government.

Earlier on Saturday, the Indian Embassy in Iran said that it had made efforts to evacuate citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka and noted that the efforts were made at the request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka.

"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 Iran posted on X.

Meanwhile, another special flight carrying 290 Indians stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Saturday night, bringing the total number of people evacuated under Operation Sindhu to 1,117.

This marks the fifth batch of Indians evacuated from Iran as part of the ongoing operation, ANI news agency reported.

In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, "Operation Sindhu gains momentum. 290 Indian nationals have returned home safely from Iran on a special flight from Mashhad that landed in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 21 June 2025."

"With this, 1,117 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Iran," the MEA added.

The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its tenth day on Sunday. The conflict started after Israel, on June 13, launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, dubbed "Operation Rising Lion

Responding to a query in House of Representatives on Monday (23rd June), Deuba informed also that Nepal has requested India to help repatriate 16 Nepalis currently in Iran.

Of them, 11 are already in the process of returning home with the help of the Indian Embassy in Tehran, while the remaining five are in detention due to immigration issues, she said.

Nepal’s embassy in Doha is coordinating efforts for their release and return, Dr Deuba added.

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