About 1,200 Indian students still in Iran after strikes, evacuation plan sought

Around 1,200 Indian students remain in Iran following U.S. and Israeli strikes that began Saturday, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said, urging the government to be ready with an evacuation plan if the security situation deteriorates.

Faizan Nabi, 22, the association’s Iran coordinator and a third-semester MBBS student at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, said nearly half of the Indian students had already returned home after the Indian Embassy in Tehran issued a Feb. 23 advisory asking nationals to leave by available means.

However, many chose to stay because they are scheduled to sit for two examinations conducted by Iran’s health ministry on March 5 — a comprehensive general science test and another tied to internship eligibility under the MBBS programme. “Many believed they would complete the exams and then leave. They did not anticipate a sudden escalation,” Nabi said.


Most Indians still in the country are medical students enrolled at universities across several provinces, with a majority from Jammu and Kashmir, alongside others from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and additional states. On Saturday, the embassy issued a fresh advisory urging nationals to remain cautious: “Avoid unnecessary movements and remain indoors. Indians may continue to monitor news, maintain situational awareness and await further guidance from the embassy of India. The emergency contact details of the embassy are: +989128109115, +989128109109, +989932179359,” it said.

Nabi added that internet and mobile connectivity disruptions in parts of Iran since Saturday morning have hampered real-time communication. “Parents in India are anxious and contacting us for updates. After considerable effort, we managed to share details of the stranded students with officials at the Indian embassy in Tehran through SMS. Govt has cooperated with us earlier, and we hope preparations are made in case evacuation becomes necessary,” he said.

An MBBS student from Isfahan who returned to India via Baku five days ago, requesting anonymity, said the atmosphere in Tehran had seemed tense even before the strikes. “There were noticeably fewer people outside in the evenings. It felt like something was anticipated,” he said, adding that those who stayed back largely did so because of academic commitments.

Meanwhile, reactions among Iranian nationals living in India have been sharply divided. Mohammed, who has lived in Delhi for over a decade and agreed to be identified only by his first name, described the moment as pivotal. “After the deaths of thousands of people, including women and children, at the hands of regime forces during recent mass protests, we hope the regime is finally toppled. People of Iran have suffered a lot. We hope to celebrate Nowruz on Mar 20 in a free Iran,” he said. (With inputs from TOI)