Nearly 1,000 Pakistani nationals, including about 400 students, have crossed back into Pakistan after the United States and Israeli forces launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran, prompting fears of a wider regional war.

 

According to Al Jazeera, the strikes began on February 28, targeting locations in Tehran and other major cities. The attacks caused panic among foreign students, including approximately 3,000 Pakistanis enrolled at universities across Iran.

 

Muhammad Raza, a 23-year-old medical student at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, told Al Jazeera that he was on duty at a hospital ward in Tehran when a loud explosion disrupted operations. He said fear quickly spread among students as reports confirmed the bombardment.

 

The Pakistani embassy in Tehran instructed nationals to gather at the mission with essential belongings. Within hours, buses were arranged to transport them to Zahedan, near the Pakistan border. The journey, stretching roughly 1,500 kilometres, lasted nearly 20 hours as the convoy moved through cities reportedly affected by the strikes.

 

Al Jazeera reported that five buses departed from the embassy compound on Saturday night, carrying students through central Iran before crossing into Pakistan via the Taftan border in Balochistan province.

 

Another student, Muhammad Tauqeer, said the atmosphere during the journey was tense, with limited mobile network coverage and growing uncertainty about developments inside Iran. “The entire bus was silent. Everyone was praying,” he was quoted as saying.

 

The conflict has reportedly intensified beyond Iran’s borders, with retaliatory actions affecting parts of the Gulf region. Al Jazeera further reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed during the hostilities, a development that has deepened concerns over the country’s political future.

 

Pakistan’s authorities confirmed that returnees entered through both the Taftan crossing in Chagai district and the Gabd-Rimdan border in Gwadar district. Due to security concerns in Balochistan, local officials restricted night travel for the convoy.

 

Iran is home to nearly 35,000 Pakistanis, including students pursuing degrees in medicine and other disciplines in cities such as Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd and Zanjan. Many of those evacuated are in the final stages of their academic programmes.

 

Students interviewed by Al Jazeera expressed concern over whether they would be able to resume their studies. Some have only months remaining before completing their medical degrees.

 

While many expressed relief at returning safely to Pakistan, uncertainty remains about when or if they will return to Iran as the conflict continues to unfold. International attention remains fixed on developments in the Middle East as diplomatic and military tensions persist.