New Delhi: In a significant development, Iran has lifted airspace restrictions to permit three chartered evacuation flights for around 1,000 Indian nationals, mostly students, stranded in the city of Mashhad. The move comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.

The Indian nationals had been relocated from Tehran to Mashhad following Israeli airstrikes on the Iranian capital earlier this week. The special flights, operated by Iranian airline Mahan Air, are being coordinated by the Indian government under Operation Sindhu, a mission launched on Wednesday to safely bring back Indian citizens from conflict-hit Iran and Israel.

Mohammad Javad Hosseini, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi, confirmed the clearance and said additional evacuation flights may be arranged in the coming days if necessary.

The first evacuation flight is expected to land in New Delhi on Friday evening.

"We consider Indians as our own people. Iran's airspace is closed but because of this issue, we are making arrangements to open it for the safe passage of Indian nationals," Hosseini said at a media briefing.

"We consider Indian nationals to be our own people. They are like Iranians," he said.

"About 1,000 Indians who were relocated from Tehran to Qom and then to Mashad will be evacuated to New Delhi on three charter flights," Hosseini said.

"The first flight will land tonight at the New Delhi airport and there will be two more flights on Saturday," he said.

The Iranian diplomat said more such flights could be arranged in the coming days if required.

Hosseini said Tehran is in close contact with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian embassy in Tehran to ensure the safe evacuation of Indian nationals.

"We are arranging for the safe passage of Indians who want to leave via air or via road through third countries, or directly from Iran," he said.

The Iranian diplomat also said that all Indians in Iran are safe. At the same time, he said a few Indian students sustained injuries after an Israeli air strike hit a student dormitory in Tehran a few days back.

A total of 110 Indian students were brought back to India on Thursday after they were moved from Iran to Armenia through a land border crossing.

Hosseini said about 10,000 Indians are living in Iran, and those wishing to return home are being evacuated. PTI