Seven more Nepalis were evacuated from Mashhad, Iran, to New Delhi on Wednesday with the support of the Indian government. The previous day, they were denied departure as they lacked the required exit permits.

The evacuees include Gayatri Karki Thapa and her son Utsav Thapa of Udayapur, Bishnu Prasad Bhusal, Buddhi Bhusal, Sagar Paudel, Yagya Marasini, and Raju Khanal. According to Bishnu Prasad Bhusal, they plan to travel directly to Butwal from Delhi by bus at 4pm on Thursday.

Earlier, two other Nepalis were rescued. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) confirmed that Ganesh Prasad Pokharel and Suman Gaire—Nepali nationals working in Iran—were safely evacuated from Mashhad to New Delhi.

Hari Thapa, a Nepali national employed at the Indian Embassy in Tehran, has resumed his duties, while another individual, Bishnu Prasad Banjade, remains in Iran due to lack of travel documents.

The latest evacuation is part of a broader rescue operation after 11 Nepalis—many of whom had worked in Tehran’s diplomatic missions and restaurants for periods ranging from eight to 24 years—were transported to Mashhad on Sunday night following an overland journey of nearly 900 kilometres from Tehran. The Indian Embassy in Tehran coordinated the evacuation.

The rescue efforts came amid heightened regional tensions. A ceasefire was recently reached between Iran and Israel, bringing a pause to hostilities that had raised serious concerns over the safety of people in the region. Following an appeal from Nepal, the Indian Embassy intervened to assist with evacuating Nepali citizens stranded in Iran.