People hold posters of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a funeral ceremony for a group of security forces killed during anti-government protests in Tehran, Iran. File | Photo credit: AP
Panic gripped Kashmiri parents on Thursday (January 15, 2026) whose wards were isolated after the internet was shut down in Iran. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah raised the issue of security and rescue of Kashmiri students with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
“I have not spoken to my daughter for many days. The Indian government’s advice to leave the country is futile without providing a window to return. The news of the closure of the airspace has made us all panic,” Fahmeeda Jan, the student’s mother, said in Srinagar.
Dozens of anxious parents took to the streets of Srinagar to demand that the center operate special flights to help students leave Iran in the face of growing street protests and heightened tensions with the United States. Hundreds of Kashmiri students are enrolled in MBBS courses in cities in Iran where street violence has been on the rise in the past few weeks.
J&K CM Abdullah said he spoke to Union Minister Jaishankar about the developing situation in Iran. “He (Union Minister) has shared his assessment of the situation on the ground and the plans that the Ministry of External Affairs is working on. I am grateful for his assurance that all steps will be taken to protect the interests and lives of students and other people from J&K who are now in Iran,” Mr Abdullah said in a post on X.
Concerned for the safety and well-being of the people of J&K, including students, currently in Iran, the Government has appointed the Additional Resident Commissioner, New Delhi, as Nodal Officer to coordinate with the MEA and the Indian Embassy in Iran for documentation, counselling… pic.twitter.com/6fzd63twvV
— Office of the Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) January 15, 2026
Meanwhile, the J&K government has appointed a senior officer to coordinate and work with the concerned agencies for the welfare of the Union Territory residents and students currently residing or studying in the country.
According to an official order issued by the General Administration Department, Anil Sharma, JKAS, Additional Resident Commissioner, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi, has been designated as the Nodal Officer to coordinate and liaise with the residents and students of J&K in Iran.
The officer was directed to “coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, concerned embassies and consular posts and other relevant agencies as required”.
The Great Showdown: On the Crisis in Iran
He has been tasked to facilitate information sharing, coordination and necessary interventions related to security, social security, travel facilitation and other matters related to the residents and students of Jammu and Kashmir in Iran.
Nasser Khuehami, National Convenor of J&K Students Association (JKSA), said Iran has reopened its airspace for civilian traffic after a temporary closure due to rising tensions. “The first evacuation flight is scheduled to depart from Tehran to Delhi tomorrow (Friday (January 16, 2026)). All students have been duly registered, their personal details and passports have been collected by the embassy and the first batch has been informed to remain ready till 8am,” he said.
He said the development brings much-needed relief to anxious students and families in Jammu and Kashmir, who have been under a lot of stress due to the deteriorating security situation. “We hope that the evacuation process will continue smoothly and safely for all remaining students in the coming days,” he added.
Published – 15 Jan 2026 18:33 IST
