Forty of thousands of stranded Pakistanis in Iran arrive back

ISLAMABAD: Ongoing hostilities between Iran and Israel have left thousands of Pakistanis stranded across Iranian cities as border routes remain closed and air travel severely disrupted, Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran said on Tuesday.

The conflict between Iran and Israel has escalated to an alarming level with both launching potent attacks on each other. Israeli military said Tuesday its forces struck several locations in western Iran, hitting “dozens” of missile launchers as the arch-foes traded fire for a fifth straight day.

Iran retaliated against Israel after which air raid sirens sounded in the Tel Aviv area and parts of northern Israel on Tuesday to warn people against a fresh salvo of incoming missiles fired from Iran, the Israeli military said.

Ambassador Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, who has returned to Pakistan, told HUM News that nearly 100 consular staff remain stationed in Tehran, Zahedan, Mashhad, and other major Iranian cities to assist nationals trapped by the conflict.

The Foreign Office in Islamabad is reportedly considering withdrawing some diplomatic personnel from Iran, particularly after recent Israeli strikes in Tehran’s Zone-III prompted several foreign diplomats, including Pakistan’s ambassador, to vacate their residences.

Ambassador Tipu said that more than 5,000 Pakistanis have successfully returned home since the start of hostilities. However, he added, many remain stranded, particularly in remote or conflict-hit areas of Iran where travel has become nearly impossible.

“Due to road closures and ongoing airstrikes, a large number of Pakistanis have been unable to travel,” the ambassador said.

He confirmed that all embassy helplines remain operational around the clock and the mission continues to offer full assistance to anyone who manages to reach them.

40 Students Arrive at Taftan Border

Meanwhile, the repatriation of Pakistani students from Iran is ongoing. According to Assistant Commissioner Taftan Naeem Qasim Shahwani, 40 more students, including 12 female students, arrived at the Taftan border Tuesday.

He added that since Monday, a total of 251 students have been safely brought to the border from various Iranian cities by bus.

Shahwani said that more evacuees are expected to arrive at Taftan in the coming days as authorities work to ensure safe passage amid the deteriorating security situation in Iran.