Kashmiri students in Iran feel ‘traumatised’, parents seek PM’s intervention

Parents of the Indian nationals studying in Iran speak to the media during their demonstration, appealing to the government to evacuate the students amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, in Srinagar, on June 15, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI

Scores of parents with wards studying in Iran on Sunday (June 15, 2025) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar to initiate measures to evacuate “traumatised and panicked” students following aerial raids by Israel in major cities of Iran in the past three days. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he was in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and mulling evacuation. 

Also read: Israel-Iran conflict updates on June 15, 2025

One estimate suggests that around 1,300 students are stranded in Iran. “Following the aerial attack, the students are feeling panicked and traumatised. We should not wait for any casualty to take place,” a Kashmiri parent said.

“Hundreds of students are stranded in Iran in the midst of a war. They have not slept for days now. Three days have passed. We request the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister to arrange the evacuation of these students like in Operation Ganga. As they were sent to Ukraine, flights should be sent to Iran to evacuate the students,” Maqsoodi Uri, a parent, said.

Several parents claimed the stranded students were making distress calls to their families in the Kashmir Valley and seeking the Indian Embassy’s help in Iran “to move them to safe shelters”.

Nasir Khuehami, national convenor of the J&K Students Association, on Sunday (June 15, 2025) evening claimed that “an Israeli strike hit the Hujat Dost Ali Hostel in Tehran, which houses many Kashmiri students”.

“Some students sustained minor injuries. We have spoken to several of them, and while the injuries are not serious, the situation remains deeply concerning. The situation has left these students traumatised and terrified,” Mr. Khuehami said.

While the Union Government has not immediately confirmed any such incident, the news of it has added to the anxiety of the parents.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he was in touch with the MEA regarding the evolving situation in Iran, particularly with regard to Kashmiri students in Tehran, Shiraz, Qom, and other Iranian cities.

Mr. Abdullah said he had also spoken to External Affairs Ministers (EAM) S. Jaishankar. “The Honourable Minister assured me that the MEA is in close contact with their counterparts in Iran and will take all necessary steps to safeguard all Indian students in Iran,’” Mr. Abdullah said.

“A decision to evacuate, if necessary, will be taken based on the ground situation keeping the safety and security of these students as the primary consideration. We will keep everyone informed as the situation develops,” he said.

“As a parent, I assure all the concerned parents of my government’s close and continuous attention to this important developing situation,” Mr. Abdullah said. 

NC MP Syed Aga Ruhullah Mehdi also posted on social media on the issue. “An Israeli strike hit Hujat Dost Ali hostel in Tehran, housing many Kashmiri students. Some sustained minor injuries. I’ve written to EAM urging their relocation within Iran or evacuation once the airspace opens,” Mr. Mehdi said.

Published - June 15, 2025 11:04 pm IST