Indian students stuck in Iran fear for safety; families plead for evacuation

For several families in Delhi whose children are studying in Iran fears for their safety are mounting with the conflict in West Asia is rapidly escalating.

Kunwar Shakeel Ahmed, a resident of the Turkman Gate area of Old Delhi, is worried about his 19-year-old daughter who is in Tehran. Three years ago, encouraged by her exceptional academic record and keen interest in medicine, he decided to send her to the Islamic Azad University. Today, he said, the only thing on his mind is the terrifying reality she now wakes up to every day – the sounds of explosions and thick black clouds of smoke.

“The plaster was falling off the roof of the dormitories where the girls had been staying. There was smoke everywhere and the deafening sounds of blasts 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 across Iranian cities on February 28, the situation has only escalated into a wider regional conflict, raising fears of a prolonged war.

On March 3, students in Urmia, roughly 750 km from Tehran, reported airstrikes near their dormitories, triggering panic. Following the attacks, student organisations in India, including the All India Medical Students’ Association (AIMSA) and the J&K Students’ Association, connected students in Tehran, Urmia, and other locations with their parents in India. The student outfits also contacted the Indian Embassy in Tehran and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in Delhi to update them on the condition of the students and their relocation plans.

The student associations estimate that about 3,000 Indian medical students are studying in Iran, including 2,000 from Kashmir alone. Nearly 1,000 students students had returned by the time discussions on possible evacuation plans began, they said. “We are in contact with around 900 to 1,200 students who are still there. They are extremely worried. The larger threat is that the places to which they are being relocated are no longer safe. Hence, bringing them back to India is the only way to protect them,” said Mohammad Momin Khan, president of AIMSA (J&K). Dr. Khan, who has been actively assisting the Indian students stuck 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 through 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 movement to Armenia from where these students could arrange and fund their return to India, according to AIMSA.

“The tickets from Armenia to India are currently priced at over ₹1.2 lakh. Many students lack funds for food and other necessities. Internet services have been snapped, and ISD calls are not going through. The students have no assistance,” said Nasir Khuehami, national convener of the 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 stranded there. Her father Shameed Ahmed said he was able to contact her on Friday when she told him that the Embassy has not responded positively yet to their evacuation request.According to Dr. Khan, about 100 students were brought back to India via the Armenian border due to a similar situation in June 2025. “We can replicate the same model if the government puts in some effort,” he said.