An Israeli airstrike on Sunday, June 15, struck the Hujjatdost Dormitory of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, injuring two Kashmiri students.
Currently, around 1,500 students, mostly from Jammu and Kashmir, are stranded in Iran.
Students express fear
Speaking to PTI, 21- year-old, Faizan Ali who hails from Srinagar and is currently student of Kerman University of Medical Sciences in Iran, said his exams have been cancelled and that the university will be closed till October.
“We have been told that we can go back home. There are over 120 students from Kashmir in our university. But our side is relatively safe. Tehran is completely devastated,” he said.
He also added that things seemed normal till Thursday but took a turn the next morning “There was fear all around. We heard gunshots. The students in Tehran are really scared. Since it is the centre of the country, evacuation is also a challenge. But I have heard that students are being taken to safe locations,” he added.
Ali also said that internet services have been affected in the country and they are hoping that they will be evacuated either by Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
Pleas to the government
On Monday, June 16, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) released a statement appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the immediate evacuation of Kashmiri students. “We have been informed that many of these students are enrolled in colleges and universities that are situated dangerously close to vital military installations and strategic sites. They are reporting continuous sounds of airstrikes, air defense sirens, and increased military activity around them. Since last night, the situation has deteriorated rapidly. Some students are even located in cities where direct Israeli airstrikes have been reported. The students are terrified and feel completely helpless,” read the statement.
On Sunday, anguished parents demonstrated in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, appealing to the Indian government for the safe return of their children.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah, in a post on X, informed of his talks with the external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, regarding the safety of Kashmiri students in Iran and assured that all necessary steps will be taken to safeguard all Indians in Iran.
President of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, urged the Union ministry of external affairs for the safe return of Indians stuck in Iran.
Plans for relocation and evacuation
Responding to these appeals, Union Ministry of External affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal released a statement on X stating that the students are being relocated to safer places in Iran through the Indian Embassy’s facilitation.
According to reports, Indian students in Tehran are being relocated to the city of Qom.
Meanwhile, Iran will provide safe passage for the students by opening its land borders. “Given the current condition and the closure of the country’s airports, as well as the request of many political missions to transfer their diplomats and nationals abroad, we inform that all land borders are open for crossing,” the Foreign Ministry of Iran said in a statement.
Iran has also asked the Indian government to give the names, passport numbers and vehicle specifications of the people crossing the borders to their General Protocol Department.
They have also asked to inform authorities of the time of travel and the border through which they will be crossing, in order to make necessary arrangements for the safe travel of diplomats and other citizens, reported NDTV.
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