Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 21 (ANI): Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday welcomed the safe return of Indian nationals evacuated from Iran under Operation Sindhu, a rescue mission launched by the Indian government amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.

'Through Operation Sindhu, our Indian brothers and sisters stranded in Iran are being brought back. More than a thousand people have come back, I welcome all of them,' the Union Minister told reporters here.

Goyal emphasised the importance of resolving issues through dialogue but warned that terrorist acts would be met with a strong response, leaving 'no stone unturned'.

'Also, as the Prime Minister says all the time, issues should be resolved through dialogue. But if someone does something wrong, if someone commits a terrorist act, no stone will be left unturned to give them a befitting reply. This is a warning to anyone who looks.'

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that so far, 517 Indian nationals have returned to India from Iran under Operation Sindhu.

In a post on X, Jaiswal stated, 'Operation Sindhu continues. A special evacuation flight from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, landed in New Delhi at 0300 hrs on 21st June, bringing Indians from Iran home. With this, so far 517 Indian nationals from Iran have returned home under Operation Sindhu.'

The first batch of 110 Indian students, including 90 from Kashmir, was safely evacuated from northern Iran and transported to Armenia before being flown to New Delhi. These students were primarily from Urmia Medical University.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) coordinated the evacuation, setting up emergency helplines and a 24x7 control room to assist Indian citizens in Iran. The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, thanked the governments of Iran and Armenia for their cooperation.

The rescued students expressed deep gratitude to the Narendra Modi-led government and Indian embassies in Iran and Armenia for their swift and safe evacuation.

Goyal's remarks comes right after participating in the program organised to celebrate 11th International Yoga Day, highlighting how Yoga has reached so many corners of the world under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

'Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, yoga has reached every home, every city of the world. India has become an engine of development to take the whole world to new heights. Today, the whole world is looking towards Prime Minister Modi and India... I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the 11th International Yoga Day,' Goyal said.

Earlier today, a fresh batch of Indian nationals landed safely in Delhi after taking off from Iran under Operation Sindhu as part of the Centre's ongoing efforts to bring back its citizens from conflict-hit regions.

The Indian Embassy in Tehran coordinated the safe movement of students, while the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) ensured their safe return.

An Indian national who was evacuated from Iran, Zaffar Abbas Naqvi, recounted how he and his family stayed indoors initially after hearing about the attack on Iran. They later moved to Mashhad, which also came under attack, prompting them to contact the Indian government.

Naqvi praised the swift action taken by the government and thanked Prime Minister Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath for their support. (ANI)