New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday thanked the government and people of Armenia for facilitating the successful evacuation of more than 550 Indian nationals from Iran.
In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote, “Thank the Government and the people of Armenia for facilitating the safe evacuation of over 550 Indian nationals from Iran so far. Appreciate their support in these challenging times. @AraratMirzoyan.”
Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said that more than 70 Indian students, the majority of them from Jammu and Kashmir, who had been stranded in Iran amid the ongoing war-like situation in the region, have returned safely to India via a connecting journey through Armenia and Dubai following a coordinated evacuation effort.
The association said the students had been stranded in Iran due to the deteriorating security situation and are now returning safely to India.
It further noted that most of the students in this group are studying at Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and other universities across Iran. Before boarding the flight, the students traveled by bus from different cities in Iran and undertook a long land journey to Armenia, eventually reaching Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan to board the evacuation flight.
Diplomatic channels between New Delhi, Yerevan, and Tehran worked closely to facilitate the evacuation.
Meanwhile, as the conflict entered its third week, the Israeli Air Force said it had targeted and destroyed an aircraft used by Iranian leadership at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran, marking a significant blow to the regime’s strategic mobility.
In a post on X, the air force confirmed the strike, stating that it had “destroyed the plane of the leader of the Iranian terror regime at the ‘Mehrabad’ airport in Tehran.”
The aircraft was identified as a critical logistics and diplomatic tool used by former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, additional senior officials, and elements of the Iranian military.
The Israeli Air Force said the aircraft was vital to “advance military procurement and manage relations with Axis countries through domestic and international flights,” adding that the mission aimed to disrupt operational coordination between Tehran and its regional allies.
According to military officials, “the destruction of the plane impairs the ability to coordinate between the leadership of the Iranian regime and Axis countries in building military power and in the regime’s rehabilitation capability.”
By eliminating the high-value target, Israel said it had significantly hindered the regime’s ability to maintain its military and diplomatic networks, asserting that “another strategic asset has been removed from the Iranian regime.”
The strike was part of a broader aerial campaign. The Israeli Air Force on Sunday said it struck more than 200 targets across western and central Iran over the past day, targeting military infrastructure, including missile systems, defense installations, and operational headquarters. (ANI)
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