New Delhi: The family of Fareehy Mehdi, a medical student at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, has made an emotional plea to the Indian government for her immediate evacuation from Iran amid the intensifying conflict with Israel. Speaking from their home in Richmond Town, Bengaluru, her parents said their daughter is overwhelmed and unprepared to handle the crisis.

“My daughter does not know how to survive in war-like situations,” said her mother, Shabana Mehdi, in an interview with PTI. “She is already panicking so much. We are requesting our Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister to act quickly and bring all Indian citizens back safely.”

Fareehy was reportedly near a blast site a few days ago, her father Imran Mehdi revealed. After speaking with her on June 13, he attempted to book a return flight for June 15. However, by that time, Iran’s airspace had closed to commercial flights, leaving her stranded.

The couple expressed gratitude for the Indian government’s efforts under ‘Operation Sindhu’, which has evacuated 110 students to Armenia, including some of Fareehy’s peers. While she has been moved to a reportedly safer area, her exact location remains undisclosed for security reasons.

"We only communicate through WhatsApp now," said Shabana. "The internet is unstable, and we haven’t had a video call in five days. I haven’t slept properly since then. I speak not just as a mother, but for all parents—there are over 10,500 medical students and 4,000 other Indian students still in Iran."

The first evacuation flight from Armenia landed in New Delhi early Thursday morning, carrying Indian students relocated from Iran as part of the Indian Embassy’s efforts. The operation comes amid heavy Israeli strikes and fears of further escalation in the region.

The Mehdies hope their daughter will be on one of the next flights. “Please, bring them home,” said Shabana.
(With PTI inputs)