At 2:30 am, on the night of June 13 in central Tehran, 23-year-old Zulkarnain Shah (name changed), a fourth-year medical student from Srinagar, was woken by the deafening sound of a blast. “The whole building felt trembling,” he says over a crackling WhatsApp call.
“I rushed to my roommate anxiously without realising what it was, then to the basement, clutching whatever we could. The sounds and lights were scarring, and we had not slept since thinking of our safety and families. There is uncertainty about whether we die or return alive to our homes. With each passing day, we are becoming more and more stressed and having recurring thoughts about our fate here.”
Shah is among over 1500 Kashmiri students studying medicine and allied health sciences in Iran, many of them in Tehran and Qom, who are now caught in the crosshairs of an intensifying war between Israel and Iran. As missile strikes rained down across Iranian territory in the early hours of June 13, at least two Kashmiri students were reportedly injured in the capital. Their families back in Jammu and Kashmir are demanding immediate evacuation, urging New Delhi to act with the same urgency it did during the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.
The students, many of whom enrolled in Iranian universities due to affordable fees and easy access compared to Western countries, find themselves in a precarious limbo — stranded in a foreign land, fearful for their lives, and uncertain of a safe route home.
As of June 17, over 100 Indian students have crossed into Armenia and are being processed for repatriation. The Indian government has hinted that flights from Yerevan to New Delhi may resume within days, depending on airspace clearance.
Yet for those still in Iran, hope is mixed with anxiety. “We are praying constantly. There is no other option rather than praying for our safety and a safe return to our homes. Our parents are stressed and are continuously calling us to know about our whereabouts and whether we are safe or eating properly, but due to internet outages, we are not able to communicate at some times, and we are hopeful that we will see our parents soon,” says a Kashmiri student who is still in Kerman.
A Routine-turned nightmare
Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, where Shah studies, resumed classes after he returned from home, where he had gone for Eid. But routine lectures and hospital rotations gave way to days of sirens, chaos, and closed campuses as Iran’s capital braced for more Israeli air raids.
Nasir Hayat, a second-year MBBS student from Baramulla in North Kashmir, describes the moment a missile struck near their university’s sports ground. “We heard the whoosh of something flying overhead, followed by a deep rumble. It was terrifying. We later found out it was a military installation less than five kilometres away,” he says.
The airstrikes followed Iran’s drone retaliation and missile barrage on Israeli territory earlier that week, triggered by the killing of three senior commanders and two nuclear scientists in Iran in an Israeli operation. Since then, multiple explosions have been reported across Iran on June 13, including in Tehran and at the Natanz nuclear facility. The ongoing escalation has drawn in thousands of foreign nationals living in Iran — among them, over 1,000 Indian citizens, including a large number from Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the media reports, two Kashmiri students were injured when a blast shattered windows at Hujjatdost Ali Hostel in central Tehran, where they were staying.
“There were minor injuries — glass cuts, bruises — but psychologically it is devastating,” said Majeed, another Kashmiri student who requested anonymity. “We live in fear that the next bomb could hit our building directly. We just want to go home and be with our parents rather than live in terrifying horror.”
While Iranian authorities have downplayed the impact of the strikes, labelling them “surgical”, the students tell a different story — of neighbourhoods plunged into darkness, sirens wailing through the night, and a growing scarcity of essentials. “Water is rationed in some hostels. Medicines are running out. Grocery shelves are half-empty,” says Jamsheed Ali, a medical student in Kerman, another Iranian city affected by tensions.
Apart from basic amenities, access to communication is also under threat. Internet throttling and outages have made it difficult for many students to contact their families or the Indian embassy. “We rely on VPNs. WhatsApp sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. We can’t even upload videos to show our situation,” said one of the engineering students.
Back home: Panic and protests
In Srinagar, families of the stranded students have taken to the streets. At Press Enclave, located in Lal Chowk, the commercial heart of the city, dozens of parents staged a protest on June 15, holding placards reading “Evacuate Our Children from Iran” and “Bring them home safely” and urging the Government of India and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to take swift and decisive action ensuring the safe evacuation of their children.
Mohammad Afzal (name changed), whose son is a third-year medical student at Iran University of Medical Sciences, says he hasn’t been able to sleep since his child told him of a blast just outside their dormitory. “We are living this war through them — every explosion, every siren,” he adds.
Mehjabeen, the mother of 21-year-old Nashra, who studies in Qom, broke down during the protest organised by the families. “Our children are living under constant fear due to the volatile situation. Communication is irregular, and we are extremely worried. If this were Ukraine, they would have been rescued already,” she cries. “Do Kashmiris not deserve the same concern?”
Mehjabeen’s comparison refers to the Indian government’s swift evacuation of over 20,000 students from Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine war under “Operation Ganga”.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has established a 24/7 control room and issued advisories to Indian nationals in Iran, advising them to relocate to safer areas, such as Qom or Isfahan. It has also asked them to coordinate through helplines. However, many students and their families feel that these measures fall short.
“We appreciate the helpline, but what we need is transport, a way out. Iran’s airspace is practically shut, and moving to the Armenia or UAE border is easier said than done,” says one of the distressed parents.
On June 16, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar stated that “efforts are underway” to evacuate Indian nationals and that “ground coordination” with Iran is in progress. He added that over 100 students had been facilitated to reach Iran’s border with Armenia.
The Indian embassy in Tehran confirmed that it is working with Iranian authorities to ensure the safety of students. “Evacuation is complex, given the situation. But we are providing shelter, food, and guidance,” an embassy spokesperson mentioned.
Iran, for its part, has opened its land borders to foreign nationals seeking to leave. The most viable exit is via the Norduz-Armenia crossing in northwest Iran. Many reports read that several Indian students have successfully crossed into Armenia and are awaiting repatriation flights.
The issue has drawn attention from political leaders across the spectrum. Omar Abdullah, chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, tweeted: “I urge the MEA to expedite the safe return of our students in Iran. Their families are living in fear.”
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chief cleric of Kashmir, in a tweet, said, “Deeply disturbing news coming from Iran of a hostel housing Kashmiri students being hit by an Israeli airstrike.” Fortunately, only minor injuries have been reported. More than 1300+ Kashmiri students study there, who must be in great fear for their lives, while their parents are in great anguish here. We appeal to the Govt of India to take urgent steps to ensure their safety and well-being and possible return. May Allah protect them all and grant relief to their anxious families. “Let’s all pray for their safety—and the safety of all people living in Iran from Israeli aggression,” it read.
A war beyond borders
The crisis of Kashmiri students is just one ripple in a broader storm engulfing the Middle East. The current confrontation between Israel and Iran, some analysts say, is the most intense since the Islamic Republic’s founding in 1979. Iran’s drone and missile retaliation followed Israel’s airstrike on a facility in Isfahan allegedly linked to its nuclear program.
In response, Israel targeted dozens of sites across Iran, including in Tehran, Shiraz, and Mashhad. While neither country has declared all-out war, international observers fear a dangerous spiral that could engulf the region.
For students like Shah and others, the crisis has completely upended their academic lives. “Exams are postponed indefinitely. Classes are cancelled. We don’t know whether we will even get degrees,” he added.
Many have taken loans or sold family land to pay for their education abroad. The uncertainty, therefore, is not just emotional but financial. “What if we lose the year? “What if the university is hit next?” asked Hayat.
Diplomatic negotiations continue between New Delhi, Tehran, Armenia and the UAE to secure more exit points. The students, meanwhile, live day-to-day — watching warplanes overhead, texting anxious parents back home, and hoping the next blast doesn’t strike too close.
However, back in Srinagar, parents continue to protest and say prayers outside the Press Enclave. “Bring them back,” they chant, over and over.
