First Batch Of Indian Medical Students To Depart Iran Via Armenia & Azerbaijan Borders Amid Rising Tensions

Tehran: The evacuation of Indian medical students stranded in Iran has officially commenced, with the first major groups departing for neighbouring land borders today.

Amid escalating regional tensions and the closure of Iranian airspace, the Embassy of India in Tehran, in coordination with student organisations, has activated a multi-route extraction plan moving students through the Armenia and Azerbaijan borders. 

Coordination of the First Batches

The initial phase focused on students from major institutions in the capital. Students from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), and Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), who had been temporarily relocated to Qom, boarded buses today for the long journey to the Armenian border.

Simultaneously, a separate group from Urmia University began their transit toward the Armenian crossing. In the south, the evacuation of Shiraz University students is also underway.

Out of the 86 Indian students enrolled there, 48 have departed for Azerbaijan via Qom, where they will have a brief stay before proceeding to the border.

Flight Disruptions and Updates

On March 11, panic spread among the student community following reports that several commercial flights from Armenia to India had been abruptly cancelled.

However, Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, President of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA), provided a critical update at 1:30 AM today, March 12, confirming that most flight schedules have been restored.

While flights for March 17 currently remain listed as cancelled, the return window appears to be stabilising. Dr Khan, who has been a central figure in coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), remains in constant contact with the transit groups and is expected to receive the students upon their arrival in India.

Expected Arrival in India

If the current transit remains on schedule, mainly students are expected to arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on March 14. A smaller group is expected to arrive a day earlier at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai.

As the first groups reach safety, hundreds of other students across universities like Isfahan and Kerman are monitoring the situation closely, with many expected to follow the same land-transit model in the coming days.

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