Sri Lanka appreciates India’s support to evacuate Sri Lankans from Iran

Sri Lanka has extended its gratitude to the government of India for the timely assistance to evacuate Sri Lankans from Iran.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath said he is thankful to the government of India for the timely support in evacuating Sri Lankans from Iran alongside Indian citizens.

This thoughtful act reflects the deep bonds and enduring partnership between Sri Lanka and India, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath added.

Following formal requests from the governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy in Tehran on Saturday said that it will now extend its evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu to include citizens from both neighbouring countries, according to the Economic Times of India.

The decision comes amid tensions in Iran’s ongoing conflict with Israel entering the ninth day.

Operation Sindhu was launched by the Indian government in response to the deteriorating situation in Iran. So far, over 500 Indian nationals have been evacuated via special flights and border movements, with efforts continuing.

The Indian Embassy said that Nepalese and Sri Lankan nationals currently in Iran who wish to be evacuated should immediately contact the Embassy through its dedicated Telegram channel or via emergency helpline numbers.

The contact numbers shared for urgent coordination are:

+98 9010144557,
+98 9128109115, and
+98 9128109109.

They can also contact the Sri Lanka Embassy in Iran for Assistance in the following numbers:

+98 939 205 5161; +98 991 205 7522 (Sinhala/English); +98 936 636 0260  

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said that a “very successful attack” on three nuclear sites in Iran had been successfully carried out, including at Fordow.

In a posting on Truth Social, Trump added, “All planes are safely on their way home” and he congratulated “our great American Warriors.”

Trump ended his posting saying, “Now is the time for peace.”

The action came as Israel and Iran have been engaged in more than a week of aerial combat that has resulted in deaths and injuries in both countries.

Israel launched the attacks on Iran saying that it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons.

Iran has argued that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes.

Diplomatic efforts by Western nations to stop the hostilities had so far been unsuccessful.

In another social media posting Trump said, “Fordow is gone.”

Trump appeared to be referring to the underground nuclear storage facility in Natanz. The bombing came after B-2 bombers had been dispatched to Guam earlier on Saturday, according to U.S. sources.

A U.S. official told Reuters that B-2 bombers were involved in the strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.

It was still unclear whether any Israeli forces were involved in this latest bombing, which significantly expanded the scope of the hostilities.

- With Agencies input