Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday said he spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar regarding students from the Union Territory stranded in Iran and was assured that necessary steps will be taken to ensure safety of all Indian students.
The development comes after Indian nationals in Iran were on Sunday asked to exercise due caution and maintain contact with the Embassy of India in Tehran through its social media accounts in view of the current situation in the country following the launch of strikes by Israel.
“Just spoke to @DrSJaishankar regarding the situation in Iran, particularly the welfare & safety of Kashmiri students in the country. The Hon Minister assured me that @MEAIndia is in close contact with their counterparts in Iran & will take all necessary steps to safeguard all Indian students in Iran,” Abdullah posted on X.
Earlier in the day, the chief minister had said he was in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding students from the Union Territory stranded in Iran.
“I’m in touch with @MEAIndia regarding the evolving situation in Iran, particularly with regard to the students from Kashmir in Tehran, Shiraz, Qom & other cities. They, in turn, are in close contact with the authorities in Iran,” Abdullah said in a series of posts on X.
He said a decision to evacuate the students will be taken on the basis of ground situation and keeping in view their safety.
“A decision to evacuate, if necessary, will be taken based on the ground situation keeping the safety & security of these students as the primary consideration. We will keep everyone informed as the situation develops,” he said.
The chief minister sought to assure the parents of stranded students that his government was closely following the situation in this regard.
“As a parent I assure all the concerned parents of my government’s close & continuous attention to this important developing situation,” he added.
In an advisory, the Indian embassy in Iran asked all Indian nationals to remain vigilant, avoid all unnecessary movements, follow the embassy’s social media accounts and observe safety protocols as advised by local authorities.