Here’s what we know about the current status of India’s evacuation missions in West Asia

With a ceasefire now in effect between Israel and Iran, India has begun winding down its large-scale evacuation efforts across the region. Operation Sindhu, which had overseen the repatriation of thousands of Indian citizens from conflict-hit areas in Iran and Israel since June 13, is being gradually phased out, Indian officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Here’s what we know about the current status of India’s evacuation missions in West Asia.

Is India ending Operation Sindhu?

Yes, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has confirmed that the evacuation exercise from Iran is now being scaled back following the ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump. A help desk set up in the Iranian city of Mashhad to coordinate the evacuation process has been closed as of Tuesday, June 24.

“Since there has been an announcement of ceasefire, the Embassy is gradually winding up the evacuation exercise initiated during the military conflict in Iran,” the Embassy said in a statement.

Will the Embassy still offer assistance?

Yes, but only for a limited time. The Indian Embassy in Tehran has said that Indian nationals still requiring advice or assistance can reach out via the Telegram channel or the helpline numbers previously shared. These communication lines will remain operational for the next few days, as officials monitor the stability of the ceasefire.

However, the Embassy has advised Indians not to travel to Mashhad for evacuation at this point, as flights are no longer being planned from that location.

How many Indians were evacuated from Iran and Israel?

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 2,295 Indian nationals have been safely evacuated from Iran under Operation Sindhu. The most recent flight brought back 292 Indian citizens from Mashhad on Tuesday morning, and this is being considered the last flight from Iran for the time being. That flight also returned two Nepali citizens, Ganesh P. Pokhrel and Suman Gaire, according to the Embassy of Nepal.

From Israel, a total of 594 Indians have been repatriated so far. On Tuesday morning, 161 Indian nationals were flown out of Amman, Jordan, since Israeli airspace remained closed due to ongoing hostilities at the time. Later in the day, a C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force transported 268 Indians from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to New Delhi.

Is the evacuation effort fully over?

Not entirely, but it has been substantially reduced. While the formal evacuation operations are winding down, Indian authorities are continuing to monitor the situation and have said that they will respond to any emergent needs. The Indian Air Force and MEA remain on standby in case the fragile truce collapses.

For now, however, the return of peace between Tehran and Tel Aviv has brought a welcome pause to what was shaping up to be a large-scale regional crisis — and has allowed India to suspend one of its most complex evacuation operations in recent memory.