Iran Unrest: Medical Student bodies seek MEA intervention as 3,000 medicos face safety fears

The AIMSA foreign student wing on Saturday appealed to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene, saying nearly 3,000 Indian medical students are currently staying in the Middle Eastern country. In a letter addressed to Jaishankar, Mohammad Momin Khan, Vice President of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the All India Medical Students Association, expressed concern over the safety of Indian students amid a rapidly deteriorating security situation.

"On behalf of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA), I wish to draw your kind and urgent attention to the prevailing situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the growing concern regarding the safety and well-being of nearly 3,000 Indian medical students currently pursuing medical education there," the letter said.

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The letter noted that students and their families are facing severe anxiety due to the unstable situation on the ground.

"In view of the evolving regional circumstances and prevailing uncertainty, Indian medical students and their families across the country are experiencing considerable anxiety. These students are enrolled in various medical universities across Iran and largely depend on local infrastructure, hostels and academic institutions, making them particularly vulnerable during periods of instability," it added.

AIMSA urged the Ministry of External Affairs to take precautionary steps, including setting up emergency helplines and preparing evacuation plans if required.

"AIMSA humbly requests the Government of India, through the Ministry of External Affairs, to closely monitor the situation and take proactive and precautionary measures to ensure the safety, security, and uninterrupted communication of Indian medical students in Iran. Strengthening coordination with the Indian Embassy, establishing dedicated emergency helplines, issuing timely advisories, and preparing contingency or evacuation plans, if required, would provide much-needed reassurance to students and their families," the letter stated.

The appeal comes as Iran witnesses widespread protests over rising prices and economic hardship, with clashes reported between protestors and security forces.

Earlier on Friday, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his urgent and immediate intervention to ensure the safety, security, dignity, and welfare of Indian students, particularly from the Kashmir Valley, currently studying in Iran, reports ANI

The situation in Iran was marked by widespread unrest, mass protests, violent crackdowns, and reported killings across several regions of the country.

In the letter addressed to the Prime Minister, JKSA expressed deep anxiety and grave concern over the plight of hundreds and thousands of Indian students, a majority of them from Jammu and Kashmir, who are pursuing MBBS and other professional medical courses in Iran due to its economically viable education system and long-standing academic ties with India.

Meanwhile, amid the unrest, US President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Tehran earlier this week, threatening possible intervention if Iranian authorities target peaceful protesters.

Following Trump's remarks, Iran's former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi publicly thanked the US President for backing the protesters, saying Iranians are risking their lives to end decades of repression.

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