Mehbooba Mufti wants Centre’s intervention for safe return of students from Iran

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday, January 15, 2026, sought the Union government’s intervention for the safe return of students, including Kashmiris, from Iran amid the current tension there.

This came a day after parents of several Kashmiri students studying in Iran expressed concern over the situation there and appealed to the Center to facilitate the return of their children.

Ms. Mufti said in a post on

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

In a new advisory, 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 flights.

The protests began in Tehran late last month after the Iranian currency, the rial, fell to record levels. The protests have since spread to all 31 provinces and have evolved from an agitation against economic woes to a demand for political change.

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