Family members scared, calling me multiple times: Indian student studying in Iran
Faizan Ali, a 21-year-old student of Kerman University of Medical Sciences in Iran, has never got so many calls from family members as much as he is receiving these days.
Ali, who hails from Srinagar, told PTI that his family members are scared for his safety amid the
Iran-Israel conflict
.
"I have been in boarding school since class 7 and I am not used to talking to my family members daily. But ever since Israel launched attack on Iran, my family has been calling me 10 times a day inquiring about my well-being," he said over a WhatsApp call.
Ali, who is in first year of the medical college, said their exams were ending on Tuesday, but the university has announced cancellation of exams and closure of the varsity till October.
(Join our
ETNRI WhatsApp channel
for all the latest updates)
"We have been told that we can go back home. There are over 120 students from Kashmir in our university. But our side is relatively safe. Tehran is completely devastated," he said.
Live Events
Recalling the last few days, he said that on Thursday night, everything was normal but when they woke up next morning, the situation was completely different.
"There was fear all around. We heard gunshots. The students in Tehran are really scared. Since it is the centre of the country, evacuation is also a challenge. But I have heard that students are being taken to safe locations," he added.
The 21-year-old said that the internet services are also affected in the country.
"It is taking three to four minutes for WhatsApp mesages to go through. That day, my father asked me whether I had food and if I was doing fine. I texted him back saying I was safe but that message took nearly half an hour to reach him," he said, and urged people back home to pray for the safety of those stuck in Iran.
The medical student said they are hoping that they will be evacuated either by Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday said he spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar regarding students from the Union Territory stranded in Iran and was assured that necessary steps would be taken to ensure safety of all Indian students.
On Sunday, Indian nationals in Iran were asked to exercise due caution and maintain contact with the Embassy of India in Tehran through its social media accounts in view of the current situation in the country following the launch of strikes by Israel.
Israel on Friday last launched Operation Rising Lion to strike at Iran's nuclear, missile and military complexes. The strikes left key military commanders and nuclear scientists dead. Iran retaliated by launching waves of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
29 minutes ago
- First Post
Trump denied it, but what role did US play in Israeli strikes on Iran?
As missile exchanges escalate, conflicting accounts emerge over Washington's role in Israel's assault on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, according to a report read more The US has repeatedly denied any role in Israel's initial strike on Iran, a claim Tehran disputes, as missile exchanges between the two countries continue and fears grow of a broader escalation involving the world's most powerful military. Since Friday, the conflict has left hundreds dead and over a thousand wounded in Iran, while 19 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Israel as of Monday morning. Despite official denials, several reports suggest Washington may have played a more active role than acknowledged. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to a Time report, unnamed US officials told multiple news outlets on Sunday that President Donald Trump rejected an Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 'Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do we're not even talking about going after the political leadership,' Reuters quoted an official as saying. While Israel has denied any such plan, the reported rejection by Trump implies a degree of coordination between the US and Israel. The Israeli strike came during extended US-Iran negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme. Although Trump has pushed for a diplomatic resolution, frequently citing his deal-making prowess, both Iran and Israel have ignored growing international calls for de-escalation and launched fresh attacks early Monday. Iran has vowed to retaliate against the US, too, while Trump has warned, 'If we are attacked in any way, shape, or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before.' Israel launched its offensive 'Operation Rising Lion' early on Friday, striking Iran's nuclear facilities, top military officials, and nuclear scientists. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israeli leaders vowed the campaign would 'continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat' posed by Iran's nuclear programme. In response, Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Friday evening and has continued its retaliatory attacks since. Iran claims 'solid evidence' of US involvement Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed Tehran possesses 'solid evidence' that the US supported the Israeli strikes, reported Time. The Iranian Foreign Ministry echoed this in a statement, asserting the attacks 'could not have been carried out without coordination with and approval of the United States' and warning that Washington would be 'held responsible for the dangerous consequences of Israel's adventurism,' added the report. The US has firmly denied any involvement, a position the Trump administration has reiterated multiple times since the strikes began. 'We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement issued shortly after the attacks began, calling Israel's actions a 'unilateral action.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rubio acknowledged that Israel had informed the Trump administration ahead of the operation, a point both President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have since confirmed. In anticipation of the strike, the US evacuated embassy personnel across the region a day prior. In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump urged Iran to 'make a deal' and hinted he was aware of 'the next already planned attacks,' which he warned would be 'even more brutal.' When asked later that day by The Wall Street Journal if Israel had given him advance notice, Trump replied, 'Heads-up? It wasn't a heads-up. It was, we know what's going on.' On Saturday night, after another wave of strikes, President Trump again said, 'The US had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight.' While Israel's assault had been in the works for months, earlier reports suggested the Trump administration would steer clear, especially amid US efforts to revive nuclear talks with Tehran. 'Clear US green light' According to an Axios report on Friday, Israeli officials claimed the operation was in fact coordinated with Washington, alleging that while the US publicly distanced itself, it privately gave a 'clear US green light' According to multiple outlets including Reuters, AP, and CNN, US officials said they had been briefed on a credible Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, and that the White House stepped in to block it. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson, Omer Dostri, dismissed the reports as 'fake.' Asked on Fox News Sunday about the claim, Netanyahu responded, 'There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that. But I can tell you, we'll do what we need to do. And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States.' The conflicting narratives may reflect diverging priorities between Washington and Tel Aviv. Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, told NPR,' Clearly there had been coordination and some form of a green light' from the Trump administration. 'Trump is making a major gamble here, thinking that this actually will soften the Iranian position and make them capitulate,' Parsi was quoted as saying. 'If they don't, what are his options? And this is where I think the Israelis are hoping that the Iranians will not capitulate and that will force the United States into the war,' Parsi added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
The Hindu
30 minutes ago
- The Hindu
UN rights chief decries 'horrifying' suffering in Gaza and urges leaders to pressure Israel, Hamas
The U.N. human rights chief said Israel's warfare in Gaza is inflicting 'horrifying, unconscionable suffering" on Palestinians and urged government leaders on Monday to exert pressure on Israel's government and the militant group Hamas to end it. Volker Türk made the comments at the opening of the latest Human Rights Council session on Monday, in a broad address that also raised concerns about escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, the fallout from U.S. tariffs, and China's human rights record, alongside wars and conflict in places like Sudan and Ukraine. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who has regularly spoken out about bloodshed in Gaza and called for the release of Israeli hostages held by armed Palestinian militants, used some of his most forceful words yet to highlight the Mideast violence. 'Israel's means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza,' Türk told the 47-member-country body, which Israeli authorities have regularly accused of anti-Israel bias. The Trump administration has kept the United States, Israel's top ally, out of the council proceedings. Israel's military campaign since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in Israel has killed over 55,300 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It says that women and children make up most of the dead, but it does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. 'The facts speak for themselves. Everyone in government needs to wake up to what is happening in Gaza,' Türk said. 'All those with influence must exert maximum pressure on Israel and Hamas, to put an end to this unbearable suffering.' In Brussels, medical aid charity Doctors Without Borders appealed to European Union leaders to use what leverage they have over Israel to end the siege of Gaza. Secretary-General Christopher Lockyear described Gaza as a 'hell on earth,' and said that almost two years of relentless bombardment has turned 'this narrow strip of land into a graveyard of shattered hospitals, mass graves and destroyed neighborhoods.' U.N. and many other aid deliveries were cut off in mid-March, and violence has accompanied distributions of food from the recently created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has U.S. and Israeli backing. Beyond the suffering of inflicted on Gazans, Doctors Without Borders said its international staffers are often living on one meal a day, and some have been admitted to their own facilities for treatment. The EU is the world's biggest donor of aid to the Palestinians, but has little real leverage over Israel. On top of that, the 27 nations are divided in their approach to the conflict, although concern over the plight of Gazans has grown as the siege has dragged on. In his speech Monday, Türk also bemoaned an increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine, nearly 3 1/2 years after Russia's full-scale invasion. He also denounced executions without a fair trial and 'wide-scale sexual violence, including against children" in Sudan. Without mentioning President Donald Trump by name, Türk likened the U.S. tariffs he imposed in April to 'a high-stakes poker game, with the global economy as the bank.' 'But the shockwaves of a trade war will hit Least Developed Countries with the force of a tsunami,' he said, warning of a potentially 'devastating' impact on exporters in Asia, and the prospect of higher costs for food, healthcare and education in places. Türk expressed concerns about U.S. deportations of non-nationals, including to third countries, and called on authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly. The council session, which has been shortened by 2 1/2 days because of funding issues at the U.N., is set to run through July 9. The Geneva-based council is the U.N.'s top human rights body.
India Gazette
34 minutes ago
- India Gazette
Indian students in Iran to be relocated Foreign Ministry
New Delhi is planning to relocate some Indian students in Iran to "safer places" within the country, and is also exploring "other feasible options" for their safety, the Indian foreign ministry said on Monday. More than 1,500 Indian students, most of them from the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, are stranded in Iran, the NDTV news channel said on Monday. Parents of the stranded Indian students have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, requesting their intervention to ensure the safe return of their children, local media said. Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion" on Friday against Iran, which retaliated with missiles attacks against the Jewish state. Since then, both countries have launched further missile barrages against each other. The majority of Indian students in Iran, who are primarily pursuing medical degrees in cities such as Tehran, Shiraz, and Qom, are now awaiting assistance to return home, the NDTV news channel has reported. On Monday the Indian Embassy in Tehran said it isclosely monitoringthe security situation and is in constant touch with the students. The embassy, which on Sunday, advised all Indian nationals and Persons of Indian Origin to remain vigilant, has provided a link to a Google Docs form on its X account to provide their contact details. The mission has also provided a link to a Telegram group and asked Indian citizens to join it to receive updates. All flights to and from Iran have been suspended, with the country's airspace remaining indefinitely closed for commercial aviation. According to a report by news magazine The Week, five Indian students, including three from Kashmir and two from Maharashtra, were injured in Israeli airstrikes. "Around 300 of us were shifted to a safer location, which I cannot reveal for security reasons," a student was quoted as saying to the magazine. New Delhi has requested that Tehran facilitates the safe evacuation of its stranded citizens. Iran said on Monday that although the country's airspace is currently closed, all land borders remained open, allowing for safe evacuation. India enjoys warm ties with Iran's neighbor Armenia, which is seen as a safe destination for Indian students. (
