Indian embassy evacuates 110 Indian students from Iran to Armenia amid turmoil in Middle East
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Israel-Iran conflict: India starts evacuating students from Iran; 100 reach Armenia border
There are roughly 10,000 Indians in Iran, out of whom 6,000 are students. Around 600 Indian students were relocated to Qom from Tehran, which has been the target of Israeli strikes. Around 110 students from Urmia also reached the Armenian border Monday evening and were likely to be evacuated by air Tuesday.
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Around 600 Indian students were relocated to Qom from Tehran, which has been the target of Israeli strikes. Around 110 students from Urmia also reached the Armenian border Monday evening and were likely to be evacuated by air Tuesday.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoya on Sunday. Students from Shiraz and Isfahan are being shifted to Yazd, said a source.
Poll Should the Indian government seek international assistance for the safety of its students abroad? Yes, definitely No, it should handle it alone
“The Indian embassy in Tehran is continuously monitoring the security situation and engaging Indian students in Iran to ensure their safety,” said the MEA in a statement.
“In some cases, students are being relocated with the embassy’s facilitation to safer places within Iran. Other feasible options are also under examination,” it added.
Jaishankar also spoke with the deputy PM and foreign minister of the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, about the situation in West Asia.
According to reports from Srinagar, hundreds of Kashmiri students, enrolled in various universities for professional courses in Iran, are stranded due to the escalated tensions with Israel. The families have appealed to PM Narendra Modi.
Japan’s Foreign Minister avoids sanctioning Israel, criticizes Iran’s nuclear “ambitions”
China’s Xi in Kazakhstan to cement ‘eternal’ Central Asia ties. Xi calls for moves to “advance high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway” Central Asia is also seen as a key logistics hub, given its strategic location between China, Russia, the Middle East and Europe. China has now established itself as Central Asia’s leading trading partner, far outstripping the EU and Russia. China sees the region as a guarantee of the security of its western borders, a Kyrgyz political scientist says. The region is rich in natural resources such as oil, gas, uranium, gold and other minerals that the rapidly developing Chinese economy needs, she adds. The five Central Asian states have courted interest from major powers including China, the European Union and the U.S. since becoming independent. The group signed a pact of “eternal” friendship as Xi called for closer ties with the resource-rich region.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan: Xi Jinping celebrated China’s “eternal friendship” with Central Asia at a summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, as the Chinese leader blasted tariffs and sought to assert Beijing’s influence in a region historically dominated by Russia.
The summit in Astana brought together Xi with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Under Russia’s orbit until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the five Central Asian states have courted interest from major powers including China, the European Union and the United States since becoming independent.
At the summit, the group signed a pact of “eternal” friendship as Xi called for closer ties with the resource-rich region.
“We should… strengthen cooperation with a more enterprising attitude and more practical measures,” said Xi in comments carried by state news agency Xinhua.
Central Asia is also seen as a key logistics hub, given its strategic location between China, Russia, the Middle East and Europe.
Speaking as Western leaders gathered on the other side of the world for the G7 in Canada, Xi refreshed his criticism of US President Donald Trump’s trade policies.
“Tariff wars and trade wars have no winners,” Xinhua quoted him as saying.
While Central Asian leaders continue to view Russia as a strategic partner, ties with Moscow have loosened since the war in Ukraine.
China has also shown willingness to invest in massive infrastructure projects in the region, part of its Belt and Road initiative that uses such financing as a political and diplomatic lever.
In a meeting with Kyrgyzstan’s president, Xi called for moves to “advance high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and foster new drivers of growth in clean energy, green minerals and artificial intelligence.”
The five Central Asian nations are trying to take advantage of the growing interest in their region and are coordinating their foreign policies accordingly.
They regularly hold summits with China and Russia to present the region as a unified bloc and attract investment.
High-level “5+1” format talks have also been organized with the European Union, the United States, Turkiye and other Western countries.
“The countries of the region are balancing between different centers of power, wanting to protect themselves from excessive dependence on one partner,” Kyrgyz political scientist Nargiza Muratalieva told AFP.
Russia says China’s growing influence in the region does not pose a threat.
“There is no reason for such fears. China is our privileged strategic partner, and the countries of Central Asia, naturally, are our natural historical partners,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.
But China has now established itself as Central Asia’s leading trading partner, far outstripping the EU and Russia.
Construction of the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China railway and the China-Tajikistan highway, which runs through the Pamir Mountains to Afghanistan, are among its planned investments.
New border crossings and “dry ports” have already been built to process trade, such as Khorgos in Kazakhstan, one of the largest logistics hubs in the world.
“Neither Russia nor Western institutions are capable of allocating financial resources for infrastructure so quickly and on such a large scale, sometimes bypassing transparent procedures,” said Muratalieva.
Kazakhstan said last week that Russia would lead the construction of its first nuclear power plant but that it wanted China to build the second.
“Central Asia is rich in natural resources such as oil, gas, uranium, gold and other minerals that the rapidly developing Chinese economy needs,” Muratalieva said.
“Ensuring uninterrupted supplies of these resources, bypassing unstable sea routes, is an important goal of Beijing,” the analyst added.
China also positions itself as a supporter of the predominantly authoritarian Central Asian leaderships.
At the last Central Asia-China summit, Xi called for “resisting external interference” that might provoke “color revolutions” that could overthrow the current leaders in the region.
“Beijing sees the stability of the Central Asian states as a guarantee of the security of its western borders,” Muratalieva said.
Central Asia border’s China’s northwestern Xinjiang region, where Beijing is accused of having detained more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslims, part of a campaign the UN has said could constitute crimes against humanity.
Iran-Israel conflict: First batch of 90 Kashmiri students to board flight today
At least 90 students of Kashmir studying in Iran on Tuesday evening reached the capital city, Yerevan, in Armenia. They are expected to board a flight to New Delhi today on Wednesday. JKSA has appealed to the External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar for the immediate evacuation of Kashmiri students stranded in Iran. The embassy in Tehran said it has made arrangements for the evacuation of Indian students and may be permitted to leave the Universities.
Srinagar : Amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, at least 90 students of Kashmir studying in Iran on Tuesday evening reached the capital city, Yerevan, in Armenia and are expected to board a flight to New Delhi today on Wednesday.
National Convenor of Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), Nasir Khuehami said that at least 90 students of Kashmir studying in Iran have safely crossed the border into Armenia. He said that besides Kashmiri students, nearly 20 students from other states have also reached Yerevan.
“All the Indian students who had crossed the Iran-Armenia border have now safely reached Yerevan in Armenia. This includes around 90 students from Kashmir Valley, along with others from various Indian states, making a total of approximately 110 students from Urmia Medical University,” he said.
Khuehami said the students have been received and accommodated at their designated location in hotels. “Their flight from Armenia to Delhi is scheduled for tomorrow, with all necessary arrangements being facilitated in coordination with the Indian authorities,” he said.
Meanwhile, JKSA has appealed to the External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar for the immediate evacuation of Kashmiri students stranded in Iran as the conflict between Iran and Israel intensifies, pushing the region to the brink of a full-scale war. The association raised alarm over the deteriorating security conditions, warning that hundreds of Indian students, mostly from Jammu and Kashmir, are stranded amid ongoing airstrikes, missile barrages, and widespread fear. The Embassy of India in Tehran on Monday said it has made arrangements for the evacuation of Indian students and may be permitted to leave the Universities. The embassy, in an official communique to different universities, said, “We have made arrangements for their evacuation. They may be permitted to leave the university and are being facilitated by the Embassy of India, Tehran.” At least 600 students of India, mainly from Kashmir, were relocated to safer places on Monday
India moves citizens from Tehran
Indian students in Tehran have been relocated to safer areas through arrangements facilitated by the Embassy. Some citizens have already crossed into Armenia with assistance from the authorities. This precautionary move comes against the backdrop of mounting instability in the region as the long-standing Iran–Israel conflict reaches unprecedented levels of intensity. What was once a proxy-driven and covert confrontation has entered a new and volatile phase since April 2024, marked by direct military exchanges and growing fears of a wider regional war. The turning point came in mid-April 2024 when Iran, for the first time, launched a barrage of over 300 drones and missiles targeting Israel. Though immediate all-out war was averted due to diplomatic interventions, the consequences of the April confrontation continue to reverberate across the region.
Indian nationals with independent means of transport have also been advised to vacate Tehran as a precaution. Separately, some citizens have already crossed into Armenia with assistance from the authorities.
This precautionary move comes against the backdrop of mounting instability in the region as the long-standing Iran–Israel conflict reaches unprecedented levels of intensity. What was once a proxy-driven and covert confrontation has entered a new and volatile phase since April 2024, marked by direct military exchanges and growing fears of a wider regional war.
The turning point came in mid-April 2024 when Iran, for the first time, launched a barrage of over 300 drones and missiles targeting Israel. This rare and direct offensive was in retaliation for an alleged Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus, which had killed several senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders. Israel responded swiftly with airstrikes on strategic Iranian sites near Isfahan, including facilities close to its nuclear infrastructure. Though immediate all-out war was averted due to diplomatic interventions by the United States and other global powers, the consequences of the April confrontation continue to reverberate across the region.
The conflict’s roots lie in decades of ideological hostility, geopolitical rivalry, and nuclear mistrust. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has maintained an uncompromising stance against Israel’s existence and supports militant groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad. At the same time, Israel, alarmed by Iran’s regional reach and its advancing nuclear programme, has increasingly carried out pre-emptive strikes on Iranian targets in Syria and other fronts.
Following the devastating Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023—which Israeli and Western intelligence agencies believe had Iranian backing—Israel intensified its operations in Gaza, further inflaming regional tensions. These flashpoints, coupled with Iran’s continued uranium enrichment, which is now believed to have reached weapons-grade levels, have brought the region to the brink.
In recent weeks, hostilities have resumed on multiple fronts. The Israel–Hezbollah border remains a hotspot, while Iranian military infrastructure in Syria is repeatedly targeted. A parallel war is also being fought in cyberspace, with sabotage operations disrupting critical infrastructure and defense systems on both sides. Diplomatic efforts continue, with the US, European Union, and Gulf nations calling for de-escalation, and China offering itself as a potential mediator in keeping with its expanding geopolitical ambitions in the Middle East. Meanwhile, regional realignments are shifting rapidly. The nascent rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia has stalled under the weight of public anger over the Gaza conflict. Iran, facing mounting Western isolation, has deepened strategic cooperation with Russia and China.
As of June 2025, the possibility of a full-scale war remains a looming concern. With both Iran and Israel on high alert, and their proxy networks actively engaged, the potential for miscalculation remains dangerously high. For India, the evolving situation has prompted a policy of vigilant diplomacy and proactive evacuation, as it works to safeguard its citizens amid one of the Middle East’s most perilous standoffs in recent memory.
LIVE | Israel-Iran conflict: Trump says won’t kill Iran’s Khamenei ‘for now’; demands ‘unconditional surrender’
The Israel-Iran conflict entered its fifth day Tuesday with continued airstrikes and soaring casualties. 452 dead and 646 injured in Iran, and 24 killed in Israel. Cyberattack hit Iran’s oldest bank, Bank Sepah, with hacker group “Predatory Sparrow” claiming responsibility.
Trump escalated tensions by threatening its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stating he would not be killed “for now” and demanding Tehran’s “unconditional surrender.” Trump’s latest comments suggest the U.S. might reconsider its stance amid rising regional conflict.
Trump had earlier warned Iran against pursuing nuclear weapons and said he’s “not in the mood to negotiate.”
Tehran witnessed fresh explosions near state TV offices; daily life is paralyzed as sirens wail, residents flee, and fuel queues grow. Internet and international calls were disrupted, and a cyberattack hit Iran’s oldest bank, Bank Sepah, with hacker group “Predatory Sparrow” claiming responsibility.
Iran’s new military chief Abdolrahim Mousavi says Tehran has only launched attacks to deter Israel, and “punitive operation will be executed soon”.
Russia and India are evacuating its citizens from Iran, Moscow has said Israel has shown no interest in mediation. A UN summit on the Israel-Palestine issue, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, has been postponed indefinitely due to security concerns.