New Delhi: Iran has temporarily lifted a ban on its airspace to facilitate the safe evacuation of around 1,000 Indian nationals, most of whom are students, stranded in the city of Mashhad following recent Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Three chartered flights have been arranged by the Indian government to bring the nationals back to New Delhi. Mohammad Javed Hussaini, deputy head of the Iranian mission to India, said more flights could be operated in the coming days if required.
Indian nationals had earlier been moved from Iran’s capital Tehran to Mashhad amid escalating tensions. The flights from Mashhad will be operated by Iranian airline Mahan Air.
The first evacuation flight is expected to arrive in Delhi on Friday evening. Additionally, another group of Indian nationals, who entered Turkmenistan from Iran via the land border, will be flown to Delhi from Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.
