First Batch of Indian Students Return From Iran Amidst Escalating Conflict

New Delhi/Srinagar – Relief washed over families as the first group of approximately 70 Indian students and pilgrims landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Sunday, escaping the escalating conflict in Iran. Many of the returnees, primarily from Jammu and Kashmir, recounted days of fear and uncertainty as bombardments intensified in the region.

A Perilous Journey Home

The group undertook a nearly four-day journey to safety, traveling by bus from universities across Iran to the Iran–Armenia border. They then crossed into Armenia, flew from Yerevan to Dubai, and finally boarded a connecting flight to Delhi, a route necessitated by the closure of Iranian airspace following the outbreak of war on February 28.

“I have landed and Alhamdulillah! I am safe,” 22-year-vintage Naina Toiba, an MBBS student at Urmia University of Medical Sciences and a resident of Anantnag, told her brother via phone upon arrival at the airport. Hindustan Times reported her immediate relief after days spent under the shadow of war.

Experiences Under Fire

Students described a rapidly deteriorating situation, with the conflict expanding beyond initial targets. Tahir, a fifth-year MBBS student from Kupwara, explained that the initial focus on IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and Kurdish military bases shifted to include residential areas, schools, and hospitals, prompting a surge in desperation to abandon. The Times of India detailed his account.

Naina Toiba recalled nights filled with the roar of fighter jets and explosions, describing an incident where a bombing 200 meters from her apartment shattered the building’s glass. She and other students sought refuge in friends’ apartments, turning to studying as a way to cope with the anxiety. Limited access to information, with disrupted internet and television services, added to the sense of isolation and fear.

Financial and Logistical Challenges

Students faced financial hardships as the conflict unfolded, with some resorting to borrowing from each other as money transfers became impossible. Tahir estimated his journey back to India cost approximately ₹55,000. The Times of India reported on these financial struggles.

Uncertainty surrounding university rules initially delayed departures, with some institutions warning that leaving before final examinations could result in failure. However, the Indian Embassy began issuing advisories to leave, and the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian missions in Tehran and Yerevan coordinated the transit route through Armenia and Dubai, according to the Jammu and Kashmir Students Union (JKSA).

Ongoing Evacuation Efforts

Despite the safe return of the first batch, over 1,000 Indian students, many from Jammu and Kashmir, remain stranded in Iran. Nasir Khuehami, National Convenor of JKSA, has urged the government to launch a full-scale evacuation operation similar to the one conducted during the Ukraine crisis. More students are currently in Dubai and expected to arrive in India on Monday.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has arranged transportation for returning students, with AC sleeper buses taking many home and others continuing their journeys by flight.