Omar speaks to Jaishankar on J&K students caught in Iran turmoil

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday, January 15, 2026, said that he spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar about the developing situation in Iran and was assured that all necessary steps will be taken to protect the interests of students in the union territory caught in the turmoil there.

India on Wednesday (January 14) asked all its citizens residing in Iran to leave the country by available means and avoid any travel to the country, as tensions escalate over possible military intervention by the United States over Tehran’s crackdown on protests that have killed more than 2,500 people across the country.

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In a post on his personal X account, Mr Abdullah said he had spoken to Mr Jaishankar.

“We just spoke to EAM @DrSJaishankar ji about the developing situation in Iran. He shared his assessment of the current situation and the plans that the Ministry of External Affairs is working on,” he said.

“I am grateful for his assurance that all steps will be taken to protect the interests and lives of the students and others from J&K currently in Iran,” Mr. Abdullah said.

Parents of Kashmiri students studying in Iran have appealed to the Center to bring back their children amid ongoing tensions.

A large number of parents also gathered at the Press Area here and called on the government to intervene.

According to estimates, just over 10,000 Indians, including students, currently live in Iran.

The Indian embassy in Tehran has urged all Indians, including students, pilgrims, businessmen and tourists, to leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial ones.

Indian citizens have also been urged to have travel and immigration documents, including passports, ready. Indians living in Iran with residence visas were also advised to register with the Embassy.

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the overall situation in Iran has deteriorated dramatically in the past few days, with the death toll in protests across the country rising to over 2,500.