New Delhi [India], June 24 (ANI): Another special flight carrying 281 Indian nationals, along with three Sri Lankan and two Nepalese citizens, stranded in conflict-hit Iran, arrived safely in New Delhi on Tuesday evening.

With this development, the total number of Indians brought back from Iran under Operation Sindhu has reached 2,576, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

In a social media post on X, sharing the pictures of the evacuees, the MEA wrote, 'Update: #OperationSindhu MoS @PmargheritaBJP warmly received 281 Indian, 3 Sri Lankan & 2 Nepalese nationals evacuated from Iran. They arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 1500 hrs on 24 June. 2576 Indian nationals have now been brought home from Iran as part of #OperationSindhu.'

https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1937462933878972723

Speaking to reporters, Minister of State (MoS) for the Ministry of External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, exhorted that the Indian government is committed to providing assistance to the needy people and has extended help to neighbouring countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Margherita said, 'Our government is always committed to provide every kind of help and assistance at the time of need to the people who are in the stress. This is the 11th batch that we are bringing from Iran. The total number of evacuees from Iran stands at 2576. By three flights from Israel, we brought 594 Indian nationals back safely to their homes along with the people from our neighbouring countries, Nepal and Sri Lanka. We are extending support to our international neighbouring friends. So, the total is 3180 Indian nationals brought back safely to India under Operation Sindhu.'

'Our Operation Sindhu is for each and every Indian national, even we have extended hands of supporting to our neighbouring countries also. We are open and bringing back each and every Indian who has asked for evacuation,' the MEA MoS added.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a 'complete and total ceasefire,' in what would bring about an end to the conflict just hours after Tehran targeted American Air bases in the Middle East.

However, after the announcement of the ceasefire, Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz accused Iran of violating the ceasefire and said that he has ordered Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to 'respond forcefully to Iran's violation of the ceasefire with intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran,' The Times of Israel reported.

Katz's statement comes after Iran launched two ballistic missiles at Israel after a ceasefire was supposed to come into effect. Both missiles were intercepted. IDF Chief of Staff Lt General Eyal Zamir, in an ongoing assessment, said, 'In light of the grave violation of the ceasefire by the Iranian regime, we will strike with force,' The Times of Israel reported.

The conflict between Israel and Iran started on June 13 when the former launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, codenamed 'Operation Rising Lion'. In retaliation, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) initiated a large-scale drone and missile campaign called 'Operation True Promise 3', targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres.

Tensions escalated further after the US conducted precision airstrikes early Sunday morning on three key Iranian nuclear facilities under 'Operation Midnight Hammer.' Iran retaliated by launching multiple missiles at US military installations in Qatar and Iraq, including the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar--the largest US military base in the region. (ANI)