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Context:

The Government of India has launched "Operation Sindhu" to evacuate its citizens from Iran in response to escalating military tensions between Iran and Israel.

About Operation Sindhu

It aims to ensure safe and systematic evacuation of over 4,000 Indian nationals, which includes a large number of students, from Iran.

The operation uses a combination of air and land routes to bring citizens back home.

• First Phase: The initial phase involved evacuating Indian students from northern Iran. This was achieved by moving them by road across the border into neighboring Armenia.
• Special Flights: From the Armenian capital, Yerevan, special flights are being organized to bring the evacuated citizens to New Delhi. The first flight carrying over 100 students was part of this initial stage.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is leading the operation, with its missions in Tehran (Iran) and Yerevan (Armenia) working in close coordination. A 24x7 control room has been established in New Delhi to manage the process and assist Indian nationals.

Geopolitical Challenges

Navigating Regional Relations => India must carefully manage its relationships with Iran's neighboring countries to secure safe passage for its citizens.

Friendly Corridors => India is leveraging its friendly ties with countries like Armenia, Turkmenistan, and Iraq to facilitate land and air evacuation routes. The initial use of the Iran-Armenia border is a prime example of this strategy.

Challenging Neighbors => India does not have smooth relations with some of Iran's other neighbors, such as Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan, which limits the available land exit points. India lacks formal diplomatic ties with the current regime in Afghanistan.

Maritime Routes => As an alternative, India is also exploring the Persian Gulf route. This could involve evacuating citizens by sea or airlifting them via friendly Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Significance of the Operation

Operation Sindhu is the latest example of India's consistent foreign policy principle of ensuring the welfare of its citizens abroad, following similar large-scale evacuation missions like Operation Ganga (Ukraine), Operation Kaveri (Sudan), and Operation Ajay (Israel).

The ability to successfully conduct such an operation during a volatile geopolitical crisis is a success of India's diplomatic influence and its capacity to engage with multiple regional actors.

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Source: 

INDIAN EXPRESS