The evacuation of Indian students stranded in Iran continues amid rising regional tensions, with around 600 students — including nearly 500 from Jammu and Kashmir — safely reaching Mashhad from Qom on Thursday. This marks the second group of students being moved as part of India’s coordinated repatriation efforts.
The students had earlier been relocated to Qom, where they stayed for three days before being moved to Mashhad, a city near the Iran-Turkmenistan border, approximately 1,000 kilometres away. The road journey took nearly 15 hours. Most of the students are enrolled at institutions such as Islamic Azad University, Iran University of Medical Sciences, and Shahed Beheshti University.
From Mashhad, the students are expected to cross into Turkmenistan, from where they are likely to board flights to Delhi as early as tomorrow, officials coordinating the evacuation said.
“We are in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Iran to ensure the students’ safety and a smooth transition home,” the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said in a statement.
Earlier, a special flight carrying the first batch of 100 Indian students — 90 of them from Jammu and Kashmir — had landed in Delhi. However, following their arrival, students raised concerns about the condition and delay in bus arrangements to ferry them from Delhi to Kashmir. Many had to wait close to 10 hours before deluxe sleeper buses finally arrived late Wednesday night.
Taking note of their grievances, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister directed the Resident Commissioner to coordinate with JKRTC and ensure proper arrangements for their journey home.
The evacuation comes amid worsening instability in Iran due to its ongoing conflict with Israel, prompting multiple countries, including India, to initiate repatriation of their citizens.
Officials have said the situation is being monitored closely and further evacuations will proceed in a phased and coordinated manner.
