Families of Indian students stuck in Iran said their anxiety deepened on March 3, 2026, as violence in the region escalated and they waited for news. Many parents urged the government to evacuate students as soon as possible.
Altaf Khan, 30, of Srinagar said his 19-year-old sister Sobia, a first-year medical student in Tehran, spoke to the family for a few minutes the previous day and sounded terrified. He said she reported frequent sirens and loud explosions near her campus. Altaf added that his parents have barely been able to eat or sleep and that the constant worry has taken a heavy toll on the family.
Aafroza, 44, also from Srinagar, said her daughter, a third-year medical student in Tehran, told her on Monday that they were running low on food and other essentials and that movement outside campus had become risky amid rising security concerns. Aafroza noted that other countries had already evacuated their students and said Indian families are glued to their phones, living every second in fear. By Tuesday afternoon she had not been able to reconnect with her daughter.
Mohammad Momin Khan, national representative of the All India Medical Students Association, said students relocated from Tehran have safely reached Qom as a precautionary measure. He said the movement was coordinated with the Indian Embassy in Tehran to ensure student safety.
Separately, the Central Board of Secondary Education announced the postponement of Class 10 and 12 board exams scheduled for March 5 and 6 in parts of the Middle East because of the situation. The affected countries named by CBSE examination controller Sanyam Bhardwaj include Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier, India had advised its nationals in Iran to exercise utmost caution and remain indoors after fresh military strikes by the United States and Israel raised security concerns in the country. Families continue to press authorities for swift evacuation and clearer updates on the situation.
