People watch as smoke rises after an explosion in Tehran on March 2. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Concerns are growing for the safety of several families in Delhi whose children are studying in Iran as the conflict in West Asia rapidly escalates.
Kunwar Shakeel Ahmed, a resident of Old Delhi’s Turkman Gate area, fears for his 19-year-old daughter, who is in Tehran. Three years ago, encouraged by her exceptional academic results and great interest in medicine, he decided to send her to Islamic Azad University. Today, he said, all he can think about is the terrifying reality he now wakes up to every day – the sounds of explosions and thick black clouds of smoke.
“Plaster was falling from the roof of the dormitories where the girls lived. There was smoke everywhere and the deafening sounds of explosions and sirens. No father wants to see his child in such a state of fear and uncertainty,” he said, recalling his last conversation with his daughter.
After the United States and Israel launched coordinated air and missile strikes on Iranian cities on February 28, the situation has only escalated into a wider regional conflict that is raising fears of a protracted war.
On March 3, students in Urmia, about 750 km from Tehran, reported airstrikes near their dormitories, sparking panic. Following the attacks, student organizations in India, including the All India Medical Students’ Association (AIMSA) and the J&K Students’ Association, reunited students in Tehran, Urmia and other places with their parents in India. Students’ outfits have also contacted the Indian Embassy in Tehran and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in Delhi to inform them about the condition of the students and their relocation plans.
Students’ associations estimate that there are about 3,000 Indian medical students studying in Iran, including 2,000 from Kashmir alone. By the time discussions began about possible evacuation plans, they said nearly 1,000 students had returned. “We are in touch with around 900 to 1,200 students who are still there. They are extremely worried. The bigger threat is that the places they are being shifted to are no longer safe. So bringing them back to India is the only way to protect them,” said Mohammad Momin Khan, president of AIMSA (J&K). Dr. Khan, who is active in helping Indian students stranded in Iran, met MEA officials on March 3 to discuss relocation efforts.
Desperate pleas
On Thursday, 107 students of Urmia University wrote to the Indian embassy requesting evacuation via the nearest land routes such as Armenia or Azerbaijan. After receiving the letter, embassy officials requested a list to ascertain the number of students. Once confirmed, it would consider facilitating their transfer to Armenia from where these students could arrange and finance their return to India, according to AIMSA.
“Tickets from Armenia to India are currently more than ₹1.2 lakh. Many students do not have funds for food and other necessities. Internet services have been cut and ISD calls are not going through. Students are not getting any help,” said Nasir Khuehami, National Convenor of J&K Students’ Association.
Two students stranded in Arak also appealed on social media on March 3, urging the Indian government to rescue them. One of them, Ifra Ahmed, a third-year student at Arak University, is still stuck there. Her father Shameed Ahmed said he managed to contact her on Friday when she told him that the embassy had not yet responded positively to their evacuation request. According to Dr. Khan, about 100 students were brought back to India through the Armenian border due to a similar situation in June 2025. “We can repeat the same model if the government puts in some effort,” he said.
Published – March 8, 2026 0:34 AM IST
