“Papa, Save Me”: Indian Student Reunites with Father After Iran Evacuation Under Op Sindhu

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 21st June: “Papa, save me,” wrote Zoya Rizvi, a terrified Indian medical student in Iran, to her father on June 13 after Israeli airstrikes struck a nearby military base. On Saturday, the young student from Noida tearfully reunited with her father in Delhi after being evacuated under India’s ‘Operation Sindhu’.

Zoya, who was studying medicine in Iran, recounted the terrifying moments when explosions rocked her vicinity. “There was an attack close to the place I was staying. I saw interceptions and bombings,” she said after landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Her emotional father stood beside her as she thanked the Indian and Iranian governments for safely evacuating Indian students.

Her chilling message, sent during the night of June 13, read: “If I have ever said anything wrong to you, please forgive me… I am going to sleep now. You will know tomorrow if I am alive or not.”

Zoya was first relocated to Qom, then to Mashhad by the Indian Embassy in Iran. Once the Iranian airspace opened, she and other students boarded flights back to India.

Another evacuee, Syeda Farwa from Jammu and Kashmir, recalled witnessing drone attacks but expressed hope to return to Iran once conditions improve.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, more than 800 Indian nationals have returned from Iran so far as part of Operation Sindhu. Iranian authorities have lifted airspace restrictions to allow for more evacuation flights, with over 10,000 Indians currently residing in Iran.

The evacuation comes amid heightened conflict between Israel and Iran, which began on June 13. Israel has launched waves of strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. In the latest escalation, the Israeli military claimed it struck Iran’s nuclear research facility in Isfahan for the second time, as part of a prolonged campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s strategic assets.

Deputy Chief of Mission at the Iranian Embassy, Mohammad Javad Hosseini, said evacuation efforts will continue based on demand and evolving security conditions.