The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking evacuation of around 1,200 Kashmiri students from Iran following military strikes involving Israel and the United States.Speaking to ANI, the association’s national convenor Nasir Khuehami said many Indian students, especially those from the Kashmir Valley, are anxious after the escalation.“This morning, we saw that after the conflict between Iran and Israel, in which Israeli forces attacked Iran, our citizens there, especially Indian students and Indian citizens who have studied and worked there for many years, are very worried,” he told ANI.He said around 3,000 Indian students are currently in Iran, of whom nearly 2,000 are from Kashmir. “Still, our 1100-1200 students are there. They want us to evacuate them immediately. Today, we wrote a letter to PM Modi, in which we requested him to launch a full-fledged evacuation operation so that our stranded citizens can be evacuated immediately. The Government of India should open diplomatic channels and raise the issue with their counterparts,” he said, as quoted by ANI.Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said steps were being taken to ensure the safety of Indian citizens in the Middle East. In a post on X, he said he had consulted the Resident Commissioner in New Delhi and directed that “all necessary and proactive measures be undertaken to safeguard our people”.The developments follow military strikes involving Israel and the United States targeting Iranian sites. Iran has also carried out strikes in the region. The escalation has led to temporary airspace closures in parts of West Asia, affecting flight routes.The association has urged the government to be prepared with an evacuation plan if the situation worsens.Faizan Nabi, Iran coordinator of the students association and a third semester MBBS student at Kerman University of Medical Sciences said that nearly half of the Indian students had returned after the Indian embassy in Tehran issued an advisory on February 23 asking nationals to leave by available means.However, many chose to stay as they were scheduled to appear for two examinations conducted by Iran’s ministry of health and medical education on March 5.“Many believed they would complete the exams and then leave. They did not anticipate a sudden escalation,” Nabi said, TNN reports.He added that internet and mobile connectivity were disrupted in parts of Iran from Saturday morning. “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, according to TNN.On Saturday, the Indian embassy in Iran issued a fresh advisory on X urging nationals to exercise caution.“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,” the advisory read.Most of the Indian nationals currently in Iran are medical students enrolled across universities in different provinces, with a large number from Jammu and Kashmir, along with students from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and other states.For now, there is no official evacuation announcement. With airspace disruptions and communication challenges, families in India are watching developments closely. The next steps will depend on how the situation in the region unfolds.(with ANI inputs)
