New Delhi/Tehran: Three Kashmiri students sustained injuries when an Israeli airstrike hit the Hujat Dost Ali hostel in Iran’s capital city Tehran on Friday. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi have urged the Indian government to arrange for the safety and evacuation of stranded students in that country.
The worried families of the students staged protests in Srinagar. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is in close contact with Iranian authorities, and Indian students are being relocated to safer areas within Iran as a temporary measure.
Around 1,300-1,500 Indian students, mostly from Jammu and Kashmir, are currently studying in Iran — primarily in Tehran, Shiraz, and Qom. They are enrolled mainly in affordable medical courses. The recent Israeli strike on the Hujat Dost Ali hostel has left students traumatised and fearful, with many reporting sleepless nights and constant anxiety.
Parents in Srinagar have been unable to reach their children due to disrupted internet and communication, heightening their distress. The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) is in constant touch with the MEA and the Indian Embassy in Tehran, sharing helpline numbers and preparing detailed lists of affected students for possible evacuation.
Meanwhile, Iran on Monday responded to India’s request for the safe evacuation of Indian students stuck in Iranian cities as Israel continued its bombing of targets in the Islamic Republic. Tehran said that though the airspace is closed over Iran, all land borders are open for the safe evacuation of Indian nationals.
“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,” Iran has said.
Tehran asked India to give the names, passport numbers, and vehicle specifications of the people crossing the borders to its General Protocol Department. It also asked for the time of travel and the desired border, through which the person will exit the country, to make necessary arrangements for the safe travel of diplomats and other citizens.
