Safety Concerns Mount For Kashmir Students, Family Members In War-Torn Iran

The long-running tensions between Iran and Israel escalated into full-scale war earlier this year after Israeli strikes targeted Iranian military sites, prompting retaliatory missile attacks from Tehran. The conflict has since intensified, with cities like Tehran and Qom facing aerial bombardment and mounting civilian casualties. As the U.S. signalled deeper involvement, fears of a wider regional war grew. Amid the chaos, over 1,300 Kashmiri students studying in Iran found themselves trapped in increasingly dangerous conditions, prompting urgent appeals for evacuation from both the students and their anxious families back home.

Twenty-four-year-old Safdar Bashir, a Kashmiri MBBS student studying in Iran, watched red streaks in the night sky from the roof of his apartment building as the bombs rained closer by.  As he was being evacuated from Tehran to Qom, along the way, he witnessed bombs having blown up vehicles. Safdar was moved out along with several other students after the bombing in Tehran, and he said that he grew worried after he learnt that a hostel was also targeted a few kilometres from the Iran University of Medical Sciences, where he has been pursuing education. 

Safdar became panicky even as the conditions appeared to be relatively better in Qom, and the only thought that weighed heavily on his mind was to safely return home in the Northern Kashmir area of Handwara.

“The situation is very grim in Iran right now. The bombs have been landing in residential areas, and some students were also injured in the bombing. As I moved to Qom, I came across several vehicles having been blown up in the bombing. Red streaks in the sky during night hours and loud explosions remained common here,” said Safdar.

Faizan Nabi, another Kashmiri student, said that they could be evacuated through Afghanistan, adding that the students were scared after the continuous bombing in residential areas of Iran. “Some cars were also blown up as they seemed to have been rigged with bombs. It is very scary here,” he said.

Harried Kashmiri students in Iran who watched bombs rain in the closer vicinity to their accommodations have been making urgent calls for evacuation, with their families remaining a worried lot because of injuries to a few of them in the war-ravaged country. As the war between Iran and Israel became intense, few of the students were evacuated to the Armenian border, with the majority of the students numbering over 1300 from Kashmir, remaining trapped in Iran, which has left family members concerned about their safety.

With no immediate signs of de-escalation between Iran and Israel, Kashmiri parents remain worried about the well-being of their children.

Syed Hassan, a resident of Magam area of Budgam, whose child is pursuing MBBS in Iran, said that he has not been able to reach out to his son since yesterday, “possibly due to poor internet connectivity.”

“My son is studying in Iran, and he is doing his MBBS in the country. I am deeply worried about his safety,” he said.

Students have urged authorities they be evacuated while the political parties and more particularly the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), a student body, has reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) seeking the safe transportation of students.

Parvaiz Ahmad Bhat, a Bijbehara resident, said that his son has been moved to Armenia from Qom in Iran, where he has been pursuing his undergraduate medical degree. But he was worried about the safety of his son and hoped that he would return home safely.

Ummer Jamal, National President of JKSA, said that they have taken up the matter of early evacuation of students from Iran, adding that some students have been extended help by the authorities, while most remain stranded in Iran. “There are some 1,300 Kashmiri students who are studying in Iran. Out of the first batch of students who have been moved to Armenia, 90 are from Kashmir only,” said Ummer.

Students from Kashmir have been pursuing MBBS degrees in Iran due to the relatively lower costs that they incur on the tuition compared to the private universities in India and elsewhere in the world. With some students also bagging scholarships, tuition costs don’t stretch beyond Rs 1.2 lakh annually. “I got a scholarship in Iran and the annual tuition cost is 1,500 USD,” said Faizan, who, however, feared that his education may suffer in case the war between Iran and Israel prolongs. “Now, with the entry of the US in the war, the situation may worsen. We have been witnessing bombing even during the daytime. If the situation deteriorates further, our studies will get impacted.”

Waseem Reza, a Kashmiri student pursuing religious education in Iran, said that the situation was bad in Tehran, but remained relatively better in other cities of Iran, where the business establishments were open and even the educational institutions were functioning normally. “Some students who are pursuing religious education also have their families in Iran. Evacuation of students has been done in Tehran after the situation deteriorated there,” he said.