Kashmir Families in Panic as Iran Unrest, Internet Blackout Cuts Off Contact with Students | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Anxiety and fear have gripped hundreds of families across Kashmir as escalating unrest in Iran, coupled with a prolonged internet blackout, has cut off communication with their children pursuing higher education there, most of them medical students enrolled in some of Iran’s most affordable universities.

More than 2,000 students from Kashmir are currently studying in Iran, making it one of the largest overseas academic destinations for youth from Kashmir. Iran has long been a preferred destination for medical education due to its relatively low tuition fees, simpler admission procedures, and the availability of English-taught programmes. But the deteriorating situation on the ground has now turned this academic aspiration into a source of daily panic for families back home.

Parents in Kashmir said they have been unable to establish contact with their children for days. Phone calls are not going through, messaging applications remain inaccessible, and social media platforms, often the last resort for reassurance, are largely silent.

“Can you somehow tell me what the status is in Iran?” a panicky girl in Srinagar, whose friend is in Iran, called the Kashmir Life newsroom. “I am really worried, and even her mother is not in the best of her life now.”

Some of the students have used a few moments of communication during intermittent restoration of communication lines. They have been conveying a horrible situation on the ground, perhaps worse than the war days last year.

The primary source of distress remains the near-total internet shutdown imposed by Iranian authorities amid nationwide protests. Cybersecurity watchdog NetBlocks has reported that connectivity has dropped to as low as one per cent of normal levels, with the blackout lasting more than 80 hours in several parts of the country.

The communication clampdown has effectively isolated international students, including those from India, at a time when Iran is witnessing one of its most serious waves of unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Alarmed by the unfolding situation, parents have urged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to intervene urgently and ensure the safety of Indian students. Many are demanding clear advisories, emergency help lines and, if the situation worsens, a coordinated evacuation.

The Government of India has issued a travel advisory advising against non-essential travel to Iran and stated that the Indian Embassy is closely monitoring developments. However, no fresh evacuation plan has been announced so far.

Families recall that India has stepped in decisively in the past. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of Kashmiri students were flown back from Iran as part of emergency evacuations. More recently, in June 2025, the MEA carried out a large-scale operation, Operation Sindhu, bringing back over 2,000 Indian students through special flights despite the closure of Iranian airspace after Israel carried out strikes on Iran.

“These precedents give us hope,” one parent said. “But hope needs to be matched with timely action.”

According to global news gatherer Reuters, Iran is currently facing escalating unrest marked by widespread protests, violent clashes and a heavy security crackdown. U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has verified the deaths of at least 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested. Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll, and independent verification remains difficult due to restrictions on media and internet access.

Footage verified by Reuters and Al Jazeera shows dozens of body bags outside morgues in Tehran, while families wait anxiously to identify the dead. Iranian authorities have declared three days of national mourning, describing those killed as “martyrs” of resistance against the United States and Israel.

The unrest began in late December and has since evolved into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s clerical establishment in decades. The protests come against the backdrop of last year’s 12-day war between Iran and Israel, in which the United States briefly joined by striking Iranian nuclear facilities.

US President Donald Trump has said Washington is considering “very strong options,” including military measures, if Iranian security forces intensify their crackdown. Trump has also claimed the US is in contact with Iranian opposition groups and has warned Tehran against using lethal force on protesters. Iranian leaders, in turn, have issued sharp warnings, threatening retaliation against US bases and Israeli targets in the event of an attack.

The growing international tensions have further heightened fears among foreign students and their families, particularly as Iranian authorities accuse the US and Israel of fomenting unrest.

Back in Kashmir, the crisis has brought daily life to a standstill for affected families. Many say they spend nights glued to television screens, scanning international news for any mention of the cities where their children study, Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad and other major centres.

With communication lines still unreliable and no clear roadmap from authorities, families remain suspended between fear and hope, hoping for a message, a call, or decisive intervention before uncertainty turns into tragedy.