Sri Lanka expresses gratitude to India for evacuating nationals from conflict-hit Iran

Colombo [Sri Lanka], June 22 : The Sri Lankan Government extended its heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India for its timely assistance in evacuating Sri Lankan nationals from Iran amidst the Islamic Republic's ongoing conflict with Israel.

The gesture, part of India's Operation Sindhu, underscores the robust and enduring partnership between the two nations, as the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka stated in a post on X on Saturday.

"Sri Lanka extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of India for the timely assistance to evacuate Sri Lankan nationals from Iran alongside Indian citizens," the post read.

"This act of solidarity exemplifies the strong and enduring partnership between Sri Lanka and India and is deeply appreciated by the people of Sri Lanka," it added.

The statement highlights the collaborative spirit that has characterised Indo-Sri Lankan relations, particularly in times of crisis.

Earlier on Saturday, the Indian Embassy in Iran said that it had made efforts to evacuate citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka and noted that the efforts were made at the request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka.

"On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy's evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka," the Indian Embassy in Iran posted on X.

The Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka had also issued a notice to the Sri Lankan nationals in Iran for the evacuation.

"Notice to Sri Lankan Nationals in Iran. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism informs all Sri Lankans in the Islamic Republic of Iran that the Government of Sri Lanka has made arrangements with the Government of India to assist Sri Lankans who wish to leave Iran by accommodating them in their flights," the notice said.

"Accordingly, any Sri Lankans who wish to leave Iran can reach out to the Indian Embassy in Tehran, either on the Telegram Channel or over the following emergency contact numbers: +98 901 014 4557; +98 912 810 9115; +98 912 810 9109," it added.

Meanwhile, another special flight carrying 290 Indians stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Saturday night, bringing the total number of people evacuated under Operation Sindhu to 1,117.

This marks the fifth batch of Indians evacuated from Iran as part of the ongoing operation.

In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, "Operation Sindhu gains momentum. 290 Indian nationals have returned home safely from Iran on a special flight from Mashhad that landed in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 21 June 2025."

"With this, 1,117 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Iran," the MEA added.

The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its ninth day on Saturday. The conflict started after Israel, on June 13, launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, dubbed "Operation Rising Lion".

In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a large-scale drone and missile operation, 'Operation True Promise 3', targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres.

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