Operation Sindhu and the Indian Diaspora in the West Asia War Zone
As of mid-March 2026, approximately 1,000 Indian nationals remain in Iran amid the ongoing 2026 Iran-Israel war, with evacuation efforts continuing under Operation Sindhu — India's government-led evacuation mission.
Separately, an estimated 23,000 Indian students spread across Gulf countries could require evacuation if the war expands to involve Gulf states or disrupts civilian air and sea routes further.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed that over 2.2 lakh (220,000) Indian nationals have returned from the Gulf region since the war began in late February 2026.
Between March 1-7 alone, over 52,000 Indians were repatriated using Indian and foreign commercial carriers.
Operation Sindhu was formally launched on June 18, 2025, to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran specifically, with early operations routing evacuees through Armenia (via the land border) and Azerbaijan.
The MEA activated a 24x7 Special Control Room and India's embassy in Tehran relocated students from the capital to safer cities within Iran while evacuation is arranged.
Indian Diaspora in the Gulf: Scale, Composition, and Strategic Significance
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman — together host the single largest concentration of the Indian diaspora globally. The Indian community in the Gulf is economically vital to India both through remittances and as a source of skilled and semi-skilled labor.
The scale of the Indian presence in both Iran and the broader Gulf — spanning students, workers, and professionals — explains why the West Asia war has immediately triggered a large-scale state response from New Delhi.
India's Overseas Evacuation Operations: Doctrine and Track Record
India has a well-documented history of large-scale evacuation operations to protect its nationals abroad. These operations reflect India's evolving "citizen-first" foreign policy posture, where protecting the Indian diaspora is considered a core function of diplomacy.
Operation Sindhu is the latest in a pattern of Indian evacuation responses to West Asian conflicts, demonstrating the institutionalization of diaspora protection as a foreign policy priority.
India-Iran Relations: Strategic Complexity Amid Crisis
India's relationship with Iran is one of strategic complexity — shaped by energy interdependence, civilizational links, regional connectivity aspirations (Chabahar Port), and the compulsion to navigate US sanctions.
The presence of 1,000 Indians still in Iran reflects ongoing economic and educational links that predate and survive sanctions. Safely evacuating them while maintaining the diplomatic channel with Tehran is a test of India's nuanced foreign policy posture.
- ~1,000 Indian nationals remain in Iran as of mid-March 2026 (students, workers, maritime personnel).
- ~23,000 Indian students in Gulf countries could need evacuation if the conflict expands.
- 220,000+ Indians have returned from the Gulf since the war began (late February 2026).
- 52,000+ Indians repatriated between March 1-7, 2026 alone.
- Operation Sindhu launched: June 18, 2025; by June 24, 2025, 1,100 Indians had arrived in India.
- India-Iran land evacuation routes: through Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- India's total diaspora in GCC: approximately 9 million.
- India's total inward remittances FY24: ~$120 billion (GCC contributes 35-40%).
- Operation Vande Bharat (COVID): 6.8 million Indians repatriated from 137 countries.
- Chabahar Port: India's key connectivity project with Iran, critical for Central Asia access.