'Haven't Slept In Days': Indian Students In Iran Living In Fear, Govt Rushes To Rescue Them
Last Updated:
Imtisal, a 22-year-old third-year MBBS student at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, says that over 350 Indian students are currently enrolled in his university alone.
Hundreds of Indian medical students stranded in Iran are living in constant fear as Israeli airstrikes continue to intensify across the country. With explosions reported just a few kilometres from student hostels, many are now confined to basements, pleading with the Indian government for urgent evacuation.
Among them is 22-year-old Imtisal Mohidin, a third-year MBBS student at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, who described sleepless nights, suspended classes, and growing panic as the conflict escalates. 'We are stuck inside our apartment basement… we haven't slept in three days," he told ANI, echoing the anxiety felt by students across the region.
Imtisal, a 22-year-old third-year MBBS student at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, says that over 350 Indian students are currently enrolled in his university alone.
'We are stuck inside our apartment basement. We hear blasts every night. One of the explosions was just 5 km away. We haven't slept in three days," he told the news agency over the phone.
Originally from Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, Imtisal added that the university has suspended classes and students are avoiding movement due to the ongoing bombardment.
Shahid Beheshti University, known for its affordable MBBS programme, has long been a destination for Indian nationals. Notably, three Iranian nuclear scientists who were killed in Israel's recent strikes were professors at the same university.
While university authorities have remained in limited contact, students said they are now primarily relying on safety advisories and communication from the Indian Embassy in Tehran.
In a fresh public advisory, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has asked all Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin to remain indoors and monitor official updates. 'We request everyone in Iran to join the below given Telegram link to receive updates on the situation from the Embassy. Kindly note that this Telegram link is ONLY for those Indian nationals who are currently in Iran," the embassy said in a post on X. Emergency helplines have also been issued.
Faizan Nabi, a first-year MBBS student at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, said while Kerman is relatively safer than Tehran, the fear is spreading quickly.
'We heard gunshots in our city today. My friends in Tehran are terrified. We were advised to store drinking water for 3–4 days. That's how bad it is," said Faizan.
A resident of Srinagar, Faizan added, 'I've been getting 10 calls a day from my parents. The internet is so slow that I can't even send a WhatsApp message quickly. We came here to become doctors. Now we're just trying to stay alive."
Midhat, a fourth-year MBBS student at Iran University of Medical Science, said the first night of strikes was the most horrifying.
'The blasts were not far — just a few kilometres away. Everyone was panicking. My family keeps checking on me. We're constantly monitoring the news," said the student from Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir.
While she appreciated the Embassy's WhatsApp communication, she expressed concern over the lack of support from her university. 'Most of us are scared and staying inside. We don't know how long this will go on," she said.
With Iranian airspace restricted and no clear end in sight to the escalating violence, Indian students in Iran are now waiting for a resolution from the Indian government.
(With inputs from ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
32 minutes ago
- Economic Times
How much damage has Israel inflicted on Iran's nuclear programme?
Synopsis Israel's recent strikes on Iran targeted key nuclear sites at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, damaging infrastructure but stopping short of crippling the programme. Experts say while Iran's enrichment capacity may be temporarily disrupted, its underground facilities and technical know-how remain intact. The IAEA found no radiation risk, but warned of potential regional fallout. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons. Israel's strikes on Iran have targeted several of its nuclear facilities, as it claims the Islamic republic is seeking to develop nuclear weapons -- an accusation Tehran denies. ADVERTISEMENT Experts told AFP that while the attacks have caused some damage to Iran's nuclear programme, they are unlikely to have delivered a fatal blow. Here is an update on Iran's nuclear sites as of Monday: Israel's operation included strikes on Iran's underground uranium enrichment sites at Natanz and Fordow, and on its Isfahan nuclear site, the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, citing Iranian officials.A key, above-ground component of Iran's Natanz nuclear site has been destroyed, including its power chief Rafael Grossi said Monday that there has been "no indication of a physical attack on the underground cascade hall containing part of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant and the main Fuel Enrichment Plant". ADVERTISEMENT However, power loss at the cascade hall "may have damaged the centrifuges", the machines used to enrich uranium. There was "extensive" damage to the site's power supply, according to a report from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a US-based organisation specialising in nuclear proliferation, which analysed satellite images. ADVERTISEMENT If backup power is lost, "at the least, the enrichment plant is rendered inoperable for the time being", it Iran's underground Fordow enrichment plant, the country's second uranium enrichment facility, the IAEA observed "no damage" following the attacks, Grossi said. ADVERTISEMENT At the Isfahan nuclear site, however, "four buildings were damaged": the central chemical laboratory, a uranium conversion plant, the Tehran reactor fuel manufacturing plant, and a metal processing facility under construction, the IAEA uranium stockpiles are believed to be stored around the Isfahan site. ADVERTISEMENT Ali Vaez, International Crisis Group's Iran project director, told AFP that if Iran managed to transfer significant quantities to "secret facilities," then "the game is lost for Israel".Iran's only nuclear power plant, the Bushehr plant, was not targeted, nor was the Tehran research "Israel can damage Iran's nuclear programme... it is unlikely to be able to destroy it," Vaez said, arguing that Israel does not have the massively powerful bombs needed "to destroy the fortified, bunkered facilities in Natanz and Fordow".Destroying those would require US military assistance, added Kelsey Davenport, an expert with the Arms Control also stressed that Israel's unprecedented attack cannot erase the expertise Iran had built up on nuclear weapons, despite killing nine Iranian nuclear IAEA has not detected any increase in radiation levels at the affected sites."There is very little risk that attacks on Iran's uranium enrichment facilities would result in a harmful radiation release," said an attack on the Bushehr plant could "have a serious impact on health and the environment", she added. After Israel launched its strikes, Grossi said that nuclear facilities "must never be attacked" and that targeting Iranian sites could have "grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond".After the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from a landmark deal that sought to curb Tehran's nuclear activities, Iran has gradually retreated from some of its obligations, particularly on uranium of mid-May, the country had an estimated 408.6 kilogrammes enriched to up to 60 percent -- just a short step from the 90 percent needed for a nuclear theoretically has enough near-weapons-grade material, if further refined, for about 10 nuclear bombs, according to the definition by the Vienna-based is the only non-nuclear-armed state producing uranium to this level of enrichment, according to the UN nuclear the IAEA has been critical of Iran's lack of cooperation with the UN body, it says that there are "no credible indications of an ongoing, undeclared structured nuclear programme".Tehran has consistently denied ambitions to develop nuclear Davenport warned the strikes could strengthen factions in Iran advocating for an atomic arsenal. "Israel's strikes set Iran back technically, but politically the strikes are pushing Iran closer to nuclear weapons," she said. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online. NEXT STORY
News18
39 minutes ago
- News18
PM Modi Thanks Cyprus For Support Against Cross-Border Terror, Backing India's UNSC Bid
Last Updated: Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Cyprus for its "continued support" to India in its fight against cross-border terrorism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday extended gratitude to Cyprus, in his first foreign visit since Operation Sindoor, for its 'continued support" in New Delhi's fight against cross-border terrorism. His remarks pointed to the terrorism emanating from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the country. President Nikos Christodoulides and I held wide-ranging talks, covering the full range of India-Cyprus relations. It's widely known that bilateral ties between our nations are time-tested. Today, we talked about cooperation in areas like defence, security, trade, technology,… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 16, 2025 PM Modi Thanks Cyprus For Support Against Terrorism 'We are grateful for Cyprus's continued support in India's fight against cross-border terrorism. To prevent terrorism, drugs, and arms smuggling, a mechanism for real-time information exchange will be developed between our agencies," PM Modi said, during a joint press statement with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides after holding a bilateral meeting in Nicosia. #WATCH | In Cyprus, PM Modi says, 'We are grateful for Cyprus' continued support in India's fight against cross-border terrorism. To prevent terrorism, drugs and arms smuggling, a mechanism for real time information exchange will be developed between our agencies." — ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2025 The Prime Minister also raised the issue of the ongoing war between Israel and Iran in West Asia and reiterated his famous quote, 'This is not an era of war." 'We expressed worry over the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Europe. We believe this is not an era of war," he said while referring to, but without naming Israel-Iran war. PM Modi thanked Cyprus for its support for India's permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council. 'We share similar views on the necessary reforms to make the United Nations more contemporary. We are grateful to Cyprus for supporting India's bid for permanent membership in the UN Security Council," he said. Notably, Cyprus has backed India to be made a permanent member of the UNSC. Cyprus is among the countries that explicitly and openly support India's bid for a permanent seat. While major powers like the US, UK, and France have backed India's candidacy, China has remained hesitant. Why Is PM Modi's Visit To Cyprus Significant? PM Modi's visit to Cyprus holds significance amid strained ties with Turkey, which backed Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Ankara's position after the Pahalgam terror attack triggered outrage in India, and calls for a boycott of Turkey picked up pace. The Turkey–Cyprus conflict stems from deep-rooted ethnic, political, and territorial disputes. Cyprus gained independence from Britain in 1960, but tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots escalated, culminating in a 1974 coup by Greek nationalists seeking union with Greece. In response, Turkey invaded the north, citing the need to protect Turkish Cypriots. Since then, Cyprus has remained divided, with the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus controlling the south and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus—recognised only by Turkey—in the north. Efforts to reunify the island through UN-backed talks have repeatedly failed. A major point of contention is Turkey's military presence in the north and Ankara's refusal to recognise the Republic of Cyprus. More recently, disputes over offshore natural gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean have reignited tensions, with Turkey challenging Cyprus's maritime rights.
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Fighting Indian state' remark: Court to hear case against LoP Rahul Gandhi on Jul 18
A local court on Monday set July 18 to hear a case against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his contentious remarks on "fighting the Indian state itself". Additional District Judge (ADJ-II) Aarti Faujdar set July 18 as the next hearing owing to the absence of Gandhi's lawyer and his junior requested for the next date, petitioner's counsel Sachin Gupta said. He said they sought a direction from the court to ensure Gandhi's presence in court. During the inauguration of the Congress' new headquarters in Delhi on January 15, Gandhi alleged that the BJP and the RSS had captured every institution of the country and said, "We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian State itself." Petitioner Simran Gupta, from an outfit called Hindu Shakti Dal , said, "On January 15, Leader of Opposition (in the Lok Sabha ) Gandhi, during the inauguration of the Congress' new headquarters in Delhi, had said that 'our fight is not only with the RSS and the BJP but also with India state." Live Events This comment demonstrates disrespect towards the citizens and democracy of the country, the petitioner said. "Rahul Gandhi's statement deeply hurt the sentiments of people across the country. I had earlier approached the District Magistrate and the SP in Sambhal, but no action was taken. As a result, I filed a case on January 23 in court." The court had previously asked Gandhi to appear on April 4 and later extended the date to May 7 for submission of his response. In the last hearing in May, when Gandhi's counsel was absent, a junior lawyer sought adjournment, which the court allowed and posted the matter on June 16.
