<p>Srinagar: Weeks after being evacuated from Iran during last month’s brief but intense Israel-Iran war, hundreds of Kashmiri students are now facing a painful dilemma — whether to return and resume their studies or stay back amid persisting uncertainty in the Middle East.</p><p>The 12-day conflict, triggered by escalating hostilities between Tehran and Tel Aviv, forced India to launch an emergency evacuation operation SIndhu in -June, airlifting hundreds of Kashmiri students, most of them studying medicine and theology in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad.</p><p>Now safely back in Kashmir, many students say their academic future is in limbo. Universities in Iran are urging them to return, but parents remain gripped by fear.</p>.Faith trumps fear: Undeterred by Pahalgam attack, 1.3 lakh pilgrims embark on Amarnath yatra in first week. <p>“We lived through terrifying days. Fighter jets dropping bombs, internet outages and sirens all night. It felt like the world was ending,” recalls Fara, a student from Srinagar. “Now that we’re home, our families don’t want us to go back — and we can’t blame them.”</p><p>With Israel warning of fresh military action if Iran resumes its nuclear program, families are reluctant to take chances. For them, the trauma of those 12 days remains fresh.</p><p>“I would rather lose a year of education than my son,” says Mushtaq Ahmad from central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, whose child was studying medicine in Shiraz. “Life is more important than a degree.”</p><p>Students, however, are worried. Many were nearing graduation, with years of hard work and financial investment at stake.</p><p>“There is no clarity. Our colleges are asking us to return. But the embassy hasn’t officially advised it,” says Aamir, a final-year MBBS student. “We’re caught between risk and responsibility.”</p><p>Some are exploring transfers to private universities in India or Central Asia, but the process is complex and expensive. Others are waiting for further instructions from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).</p>.The hidden cost of a Kashmir byline . <p>“Students need clear guidance. What if war breaks out again after we return?” says a student leader coordinating with other evacuees.</p><p>For now, these young men and women remain stranded between two difficult choices — stay safe at home with an uncertain future, or risk returning to a region still simmering with tension.</p><p>“We chased our dreams to Iran,” says Fara, “but what we saw there reminded us — no dream is worth dying for.”</p>
<p>Srinagar: Weeks after being evacuated from Iran during last month’s brief but intense Israel-Iran war, hundreds of Kashmiri students are now facing a painful dilemma — whether to return and resume their studies or stay back amid persisting uncertainty in the Middle East.</p><p>The 12-day conflict, triggered by escalating hostilities between Tehran and Tel Aviv, forced India to launch an emergency evacuation operation SIndhu in -June, airlifting hundreds of Kashmiri students, most of them studying medicine and theology in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad.</p><p>Now safely back in Kashmir, many students say their academic future is in limbo. Universities in Iran are urging them to return, but parents remain gripped by fear.</p>.Faith trumps fear: Undeterred by Pahalgam attack, 1.3 lakh pilgrims embark on Amarnath yatra in first week. <p>“We lived through terrifying days. Fighter jets dropping bombs, internet outages and sirens all night. It felt like the world was ending,” recalls Fara, a student from Srinagar. “Now that we’re home, our families don’t want us to go back — and we can’t blame them.”</p><p>With Israel warning of fresh military action if Iran resumes its nuclear program, families are reluctant to take chances. For them, the trauma of those 12 days remains fresh.</p><p>“I would rather lose a year of education than my son,” says Mushtaq Ahmad from central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, whose child was studying medicine in Shiraz. “Life is more important than a degree.”</p><p>Students, however, are worried. Many were nearing graduation, with years of hard work and financial investment at stake.</p><p>“There is no clarity. Our colleges are asking us to return. But the embassy hasn’t officially advised it,” says Aamir, a final-year MBBS student. “We’re caught between risk and responsibility.”</p><p>Some are exploring transfers to private universities in India or Central Asia, but the process is complex and expensive. Others are waiting for further instructions from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).</p>.The hidden cost of a Kashmir byline . <p>“Students need clear guidance. What if war breaks out again after we return?” says a student leader coordinating with other evacuees.</p><p>For now, these young men and women remain stranded between two difficult choices — stay safe at home with an uncertain future, or risk returning to a region still simmering with tension.</p><p>“We chased our dreams to Iran,” says Fara, “but what we saw there reminded us — no dream is worth dying for.”</p>