Iran-Israel War: Anxiety, fear grip parents of Indian students stuck in middle east

NEW DELHI: Another day brought with it yet more anxiety and fear as parents and family members eagerly waited for updates about the safety of their children stuck in Iran. As the situation escalates, parents continue to appeal to the Indian government to evacuate their children at the earliest.

For 30-year-old Altaf Khan, currently residing in Srinagar, Tuesday started with checking his phone and waiting for updates on his sister's safety.

"My sister, Sobia, is a first-year medical student in Tehran. We were able to connect with her yesterday for a couple of minutes and the fear was evident in her voice. She told us that sirens have been going off frequently and that they could hear loud explosions near their campus," Khan said.

He added that his parents have neither been eating nor sleeping. The constant anxiety has been very taxing for his family, he added. "My sister is only 19. I cannot imagine what she must be feeling, how scared she must be," Khan added, his voice choked with emotion.

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Parents urge Indian govt

Another parent, 44-year-old Aafroza (goes by first name), based out of Srinagar, said, "It is our urgent request that the Indian government get all our children out safely and immediately.

I was able to connect with my daughter for a little bit on Monday and she said that they were running out of food and other necessities as well. Movement outside the campus has become very risky, with the escalated security concerns."

Aafroza's daughter is a third-year medical student in Tehran. "All other countries had already evacuated their respective students. The situation has escalated so much and we are just living every second in fear that we will receive bad news. We are constantly glued to our phones, in the hope of getting some updates or reassurances," Aafroza told PTI.

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Aafroza confirmed that she had not been able to connect with her daughter till Tuesday afternoon. The national representative of All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) Mohammad Momin Khan, said, " Indian students who were relocated from Tehran have safely reached Qom as part of precautionary arrangements. The movement was carried out in coordination with the Embassy of India in Tehran to ensure the safety and well-being of all students."

CBSE postpones Board Exams 2026

Meanwhile, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday postponed the Class 10 and 12 board exams scheduled for March 5 and 6 in the Middle East region amid the Iran-Israel conflict, officials said.

"Due to the current situation in parts of the Middle East -- Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE -- the board has decided to postpone Class 10, 12 exams on March 5 (Thursday) and March 6 (Friday)," said CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj.

Earlier in the day, India advised its nationals in Iran to exercise utmost caution and remain indoors as far as possible as the security situation in the Persian Gulf nation deteriorated in view of fresh military strikes by the US and Israel.