Trapped in basements, cut off by weak internet, and haunted by the fear of what the next moment might bring, many Indian students desperately await evacuation. Meanwhile, over 100 students have already been moved to neighbouring Armenia as the Israel-Iran conflict spirals out of control.
For Mehreen Zaffar, a medical student at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, every siren is a jolt of terror, every blackout a chilling reminder of how fragile safety has become in conflict-ridden West Asia. The Indian student at Tehran University of Medical Sciences now lives in the shadow of war, as the skies over Iran’s capital erupt with alarms and uncertainty.
"We are scared. We have been calling for help but nothing is happening," Mehreen told news agency PTI, with her voice trembling under the weight of uncertainty.
"Iran is on black alert. We do not know what is happening. We have been kept in a basement for safety purposes but we are scared. Since the internet is weak, we are unable to even contact our family members. Back home, they are worried for our safety," she further said.
ALSO READ: One-by-One: How Iran’s Supreme Commander Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lost his top commanders and why his axis is crumblingMehreen, the third-year MBBS student, is among more than 70 Indian students waiting to be rescued from a warzone that is tightening its grip by the hour.
For many, the only hope now rests on frantic diplomatic efforts and the promise of evacuation flights, as their families back home hold their breath.
"We have been calling for help but have not received anything. We do not know anything. We want evacuation. We have full hopes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and we need help. We cannot stay like this," she added.
Faizan Nabi, a 21-year-old student at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, also said the situation in his city, though tense, is not as severe as in Tehran.
"The situation is not as bad here (Kerman) as in Tehran. But there is still fear. We are hoping that we will be relocated to some safe location soon," he said, adding that he has already started packing his bags.
Meanwhile, Huzaif Malik, a student from Urmia University of Medical Sciences, was among those successfully evacuated to Armenia by Indian authorities.
ALSO READ: Will Khamenei meet Saddam Hussein's fate? Israel issues chilling warning"We were in Urmia which was relatively safe. We have reached Armenia," he said.
As tensions escalate, Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city, with 110 of them successfully crossing the border into Armenia through arrangements facilitated by the Indian Embassy.
Earlier in the day, the Indian mission also advised all Indian nationals and PIOs who can move out of Tehran using their own resources, to move to a safe location outside the city.
"All Indian Nationals who are in Tehran and not in touch with the Embassy are requested to contact the Embassy of India in Tehran immediately and provide their Location and Contact numbers. Kindly contact: +989010144557; +989128109115; +989128109109," the Embassy of India in Tehran said in a post on X.
The ministry of external Affairs (MEA) also said in a statement that the Indian Embassy in Iran has been in continuous contact with the Indian community to provide all possible assistance.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association, all the students who crossed the Iran-Armenia border have now safely reached Yerevan, Armenia’s capital.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said students from the union territory studying in Iran are being taken to Armenia from where they would be brought home.
"I have been in regular touch with ministry of external affairs, I spoke to foreign minister S Jaishankar and he assured me that first the students will be evacuated, under a plan, from those areas where there is more danger, especially from Tehran and Isfahan," Abdullah told news agency PTI.
He said the plan first was to evacuate the students to Qum where there was less danger, but because the airports and ports are closed, "so they are being taken over land to Armenia from where they will be brought home safely".
They have been accommodated in hotels at designated locations and are scheduled to fly to Delhi on Wednesday. All necessary travel arrangements are being coordinated by Indian authorities.
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