Kashmir Students Stuck in War-Hit Iran as Conflict Enters Ninth Day | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Hundreds of Kashmiri students studying in medical colleges in Iran remain stranded in the country as the ongoing United States-Israel military campaign against Iran entered its ninth day on Sunday, even as authorities say the students have been moved to relatively safer locations.

Families and officials said nearly 596 Kashmiri students from different medical universities have been assembled and taken to shelters in the holy city of Qum, a major religious centre in Iran. The students, who were studying in different institutions across the country, were moved to Qum by their respective universities after the conflict escalated. According to parents, the universities have arranged accommodation and food for them and are taking care of their immediate needs.

However, anxiety among the families has continued to grow amid uncertainty about evacuation plans and communication breakdowns inside the country.

A parent from Pattan told Kashmir Life that the students were initially informed that they would be escorted to the Armenian border from where they would be able to board flights to New Delhi.

“Initially they were told that they can be escorted to the Armenia border wherefrom they can take flights to Delhi. However, later they have been told to go to Armenia on their own, so the students are confused,” the parent said.

He said the sudden change in the plan has left the students uncertain about how they will manage the long journey to the border in the middle of a war situation. The problem has been compounded by the disruption of communication services in many parts of Iran.

“We are unable to talk to them. It is they who talk to us as and when they get an opportunity,” the parent said. “The communication system has collapsed in many places and this is what is worrying the families here.”

Parents also said that not all students may have sufficient funds to manage the travel expenses required to reach the border and arrange onward flights.

“Some of them may not have enough money in their accounts to fund their return. In this situation they may not be able to find alternatives. We are quite frustrated,” he said.

According to families, most Kashmiri students studying in Iranian medical colleges had already returned home earlier this year after their academic sessions ended. However, a group of senior students had stayed back to complete examinations and academic formalities.

Before they could finish their examinations, the conflict broke out on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran, leaving the remaining students stranded in the country.

Despite the tense situation, there has been no report of any Kashmiri student being injured so far in the ongoing conflict, which has now entered its ninth day.

The Jammu and Kashmir government said it is closely monitoring the situation and remains in touch with authorities regarding the safety of the students and other Indians in Iran.

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said the government is receiving regular updates about Indian citizens, particularly students from Jammu and Kashmir, who are currently in the conflict-affected region.

“We are keeping strict vigil and receiving regular information about the stranded students and other people from India, particularly those from Jammu and Kashmir. We are anxious about their safety, but the situation there is complex and evacuation is not possible at this moment,” Choudhary told reporters on Sunday.

He said the government would take steps to evacuate the stranded students once the situation on the ground becomes favourable.

“As soon as conditions become favourable, the stranded people will be brought back safely,” he said.

Earlier, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is in touch with the Union government to facilitate the safe evacuation of students from the region who are currently in Iran.

Speaking to reporters, Abdullah said the Jammu and Kashmir government is coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the situation of Kashmiri students studying in Iran.

“Our students are stuck in Iran. God willing, they will come back,” Abdullah said. “Omar is doing this for them with the help of the Foreign Ministry.”

He added that arrangements are being worked out to bring the students back once conditions allow safe movement.

“They have been kept in safe places. They will be brought back by land,” he said.

The anxiety among families has also been heightened by the deteriorating security situation across Iran and the wider West Asian region.

International media reports indicate that more than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran and an additional 300 in Lebanon since the beginning of the conflict on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched extensive air strikes on Iranian targets.

Tehran has witnessed major fires after oil storage facilities and refining infrastructure were struck in recent attacks. Local media footage has shown large plumes of smoke rising from industrial facilities on the outskirts of the Iranian capital.

The war has also widened geographically, with Iran carrying out retaliatory strikes against Israeli targets and against United States military installations in several Gulf countries including Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Amid the escalating conflict, the United States Central Command issued a public safety advisory on Sunday urging civilians in Iran to remain indoors and avoid areas that could become military targets.

In a statement, CENTCOM said Iranian forces were launching drones and ballistic missiles from heavily populated civilian areas.

“Iranian forces are using crowded areas surrounded by civilians in cities such as Dezful, Esfahan and Shiraz to launch attack drones and ballistic missiles,” the statement claimed, warning that such locations could become legitimate military targets under international law.

The conflict is also raising concerns about damage to critical infrastructure across the Persian Gulf region.

Analysts have warned that desalination plants, which supply drinking water to millions of people across Gulf countries, are vulnerable to missile or drone strikes. Many of these facilities are located along the coast and are integrated with power stations, meaning attacks on electrical infrastructure could simultaneously disrupt water production.

Experts note that more than 90 percent of the Gulf’s desalinated water comes from just 56 major plants, making the region highly dependent on a relatively small number of facilities.

Recent strikes have already caused damage near key installations. Iranian missile attacks near Dubai’s Jebel Ali port landed close to one of the largest desalination plants in the world, while facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have also reported impacts from nearby attacks or debris from intercepted drones.

In Bahrain, authorities have accused Iran of damaging one of the country’s desalination plants, while Iran has said that a United States airstrike damaged a desalination facility on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, cutting water supply to dozens of villages.

Analysts say that if major desalination plants were knocked offline, some Gulf cities could lose most of their drinking water within days, highlighting the vulnerability of the region’s infrastructure during a prolonged conflict.

For families in Kashmir, however, the immediate concern remains the safety of their children who remain in Iran.

With communication links unstable and evacuation arrangements yet to be finalised, many parents say they are waiting anxiously for clarity on when the stranded students will be able to leave the country and return home.