Anxiety Among Kashmiri Families as Communication Breaks Down with Students in Iran
Amidst escalating violence and communication disruptions in Iran, families in Kashmir are facing anxiety over the safety of their children studying medicine in the country. Parents have expressed concerns as they struggle to establish contact with their children, with internet and phone services appearing to be down in violence-affected areas.
One mother from Srinagar shared her worries about her daughter studying in a medical college in Tehran, stating that the lack of communication has left them clueless about her well-being. Similarly, a parent from Baramulla has been unable to reach his 22-year-old son, a student at a medical university in a border district of Iran, for over two days. Families have reported sporadic communication where they only receive accounts of unrest, clashes, and uncertainty.
Currently, more than 2,000 students from Kashmir are enrolled in various universities across Iran. The ongoing unrest has led to violent clashes in major cities such as Tehran, Isfahan, and Mashhad. Authorities have imposed internet shutdowns in several areas to prevent protest coordination, further isolating international students, including those from Kashmir.
Concerned parents have urged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to intervene and ensure the safety of students. They have called for immediate steps to protect their children and have appealed for their safe return if the situation deteriorates. The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has also been approached for assistance in this regard.
While the Indian government has issued a travel advisory advising against non-essential travel to Iran and stated that the Indian Embassy is closely monitoring the situation, no evacuation plan has been announced yet. In June 2025, the MEA conducted a large-scale evacuation of Indian students from Iran under Operation Sindhu, bringing back over 2,000 students through special flights despite the closure of Iranian airports.
With communication lines remaining unreliable, families in Kashmir are living in fear, hoping for reassurance and timely intervention from authorities to ensure the safety of their children studying in Iran.
