As the Israel-Iran conflict intensifies into its eighth day, India has launched a swift evacuation mission to rescue its nationals stranded in the volatile region.
Under “Operation Sindhu,” at least 1,000 Indian students trapped across multiple Iranian cities are being airlifted to Delhi in a series of three special flights over the weekend.
In a rare diplomatic gesture amid raging hostilities, Iran temporarily reopened its closed airspace exclusively for India’s emergency flights.
The move comes even as Tehran reels from a brutal night of Israeli airstrikes that targeted key military and nuclear installations, including the highly sensitive Khondab Heavy Water Production Plant.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), after initial uncertainty, confirmed significant damage to Khondab’s distillation unit following Israel’s overnight strikes.
The spiraling conflict has already exacted a devastating toll. On June 17 night, Iranian missiles struck Tel Aviv’s hospitals and residential buildings, injuring more than 200 civilians. In a retaliatory blitz, Israeli air raids have reportedly killed multiple senior generals, nuclear scientists, and civilians across Iran.
A Washington-based human rights group reported at least 639 fatalities in Iran — including 263 civilians — with over 1,300 wounded. Meanwhile, Israel has suffered at least 24 deaths from around 400 missile and drone attacks launched by Iran.
Iranian President Pezeshkian delivered a chilling message amid the carnage: “Iran must ensure a definitive end to Zionist terrorists’ adventures. The only solution to this imposed war is to halt the enemy’s aggression unconditionally.”
Complicating matters further, US President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum, declaring that within two weeks, he will decide whether American forces will directly intervene in the escalating conflict.
His warning follows an early departure from the G7 summit in Canada, though he denied any immediate involvement in ceasefire talks.
Trump’s comments underscore Washington’s tough stance on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, as Tehran signals a hardening position on uranium enrichment.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran will reject any proposal demanding “zero enrichment,” especially after the latest Israeli strikes.
With Tehran ruling out talks with Washington, European powers are scrambling to mediate as Geneva prepares to host urgent nuclear de-escalation talks.
But tensions boiled over at the United Nations Human Rights Council, where Israel slammed the council for granting Iran the floor amid the ongoing bloodshed.
Further inflaming the crisis, an Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated Friday in Tehran in what is suspected to be an Israeli drone strike on his apartment, according to reports from Israel’s national broadcaster Kan.
The Israel Defense Forces later confirmed that over 25 fighter jets conducted pre-dawn raids, destroying more than 35 Iranian missile storage and launch facilities.
With the conflict on a knife-edge, the world watches nervously as diplomacy struggles to catch up with the missiles already in flight.
