2 Nuh medical students stuck in Iran as West Asia tensions spike

Families remain in touch as embassy and university coordinate support; district administration says it is monitoring situation closely.

Two MBBS students from Haryana’s Nuh are stranded in Iran’s Arak city amid escalating tensions in West Asia following an attack on the country by the US and Israel, their families have claimed.

Parents say calls are patchy but students report calm in city; Indian embassy has gathered details and exams are currently underway. (Associated Press)

Ziya Ur Rehman (25) from Rai Puri and Fahed Khan (22) from Bisru villages travelled to Iran in 2023 to pursue an MBBS at Arak University. With tensions rising, their parents and relatives say they are anxious, though both students have indicated that the situation in Arak remains stable for now.

Shamsuddin (57), Rehman’s father and a government teacher, said he remains in regular contact with his son. “I spoke to him on Monday afternoon. We are connecting with him once every day to take an update of the situation there. Though he told us that the situation in Arak is comparatively better, we are a little tensed,” he said.

Quoting his son, Shamsuddin said several students from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana are studying with him. “My son and others are in continuous touch with the university authorities. He also informed that the Indian embassy officials are in touch with the university officials and have collected details of all the students studying there,” he said. He added that his son is in his sixth semester with term exams underway.

Tasleem Khan (39), Fahed’s uncle, said they last spoke to him on Monday after a gap of two to three days. “We are unable to frequently contact him, as calls are not going through. However, he clarified that the current situation in Arak is normal. The university officials are providing all the support to the foreign students including those from India,” he said, appealing to the central government to ensure their well-being.

Nuh district commissioner Akhil Pilani said the administration is in touch with the families. “We are in touch with the family members and we are monitoring the situation closely. We will take necessary actions as per the policies whenever required on directions of the central government,” he said.