New Delhi: The messages began flooding in around noon on January 10, each one more frantic than the last.“Please call my mother and father in Iran and inform them I’m safe in Dubai,” wrote one woman, including her parents’ phone numbers. “I would highly appreciate if you can confirm when it’s done.”Another plea, “Can you pls call my brother in Tehran and see if all is safe”.And another, “It’s been more than 48 hrs. We’re unable to contact them.”The social media channel of India’s embassy in Iran, dormant for months after the previous crisis, suddenly sprang back to life after authorities cut internet and telecommunications services on January 8 as nationwide protests intensified.Just days before the internet shutdown, on January 5, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a travel advisory urging Indian nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Iran. Those already in the country were advised to exercise caution, stay away from protest areas and register with the Indian embassy.For thousands of Indian families with relatives in Iran – medical students, workers, pilgrims and other expatriates – the blackout disrupted contact with loved ones at a time of growing unrest. Protests that began on December 28, 2025 later prompted a wider security crackdown, leaving families without updates on the situation on the ground.The anxiety is particularly acute for those who lived through the evacuation last June.During the escalation between Iran and Israel, India launched Operation Sindhu, eventually evacuating over 3,500 Indian nationals from conflict areas. Many students had returned to Iran after the situation stabilised, believing the worst was over. Now, faced with another communications blackout, families are experiencing a sense of deja vu.In this frame grab from video taken by an individual not employed by The Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran shows people blocking an intersection during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Thursday Jan. 8, 2026. (UGC via AP)One user wrote to the embassy group asking about approximately 50 Indian nationals in Qom, a holy city south of Tehran. His brother had moved there in mid-December and still hadn’t secured an Iranian mobile number due to “ongoing issues”. He provided GPS coordinates, WhatsApp numbers for institutional contacts and a desperate plea for any information.A wife wrote about her husband in Yazd, working with six other Indian nationals. “It’s been more than 48 hrs,” she said of the silence from her husband.Medical students make up the bulk of Indian nationals in Iran. According to reports, over 13,000 Indian students are currently studying in Iran, most pursuing medical degrees.On January 10, the embassy posted a message specifically for families of Indian medical students, confirming that coordinators at universities in Isfahan, Shiraz, Kerman, Tehran and other cities had reported students were safe. The message promised another update the following morning.On January 11 afternoon, the embassy repeated its message, listing the same universities and adding that efforts were being made to contact others. Then came another update confirming the internet shutdown and advising Indians in Iran to stay indoors and away from protests, stating there was no immediate danger when taking these precautions.For some families, this brought relief. For others whose loved ones attended different universities or lived in other cities, the wait continued.One parent posted contact numbers for their daughter studying at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. “Please help us by enquiring about these students or establishing contact with them,” they wrote, then added hours later: “Plzz reply.”Another parent said their daughter was in her fifth semester at the Islamic Azad University in Tehran. “We have had no contact with her since the last 60 hrs,” they wrote.Shops are closed during protests in Tehran’s centuries-old main bazaar on January 6, 2025. Photo: AP/Vahid Salemi.The range of messages reflected the spread of the Indian diaspora across Iran, with families seeking information about relatives in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Qom, Yazd and coastal locations such as Bandar-e Bostanu in Hormozgan province.One post raised a practical concern amid the communications blackout. “Kindly let us know if local landlines are working or dead and people can contact each other on local landlines although cellphone networks and internet is totally shut down.”The answer, it seemed, was that even landlines had become unreliable in many areas.By January 11, frustration with the embassy channel itself was mounting. One user urged everyone to instead contact India’s Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi directly, providing multiple phone numbers and email addresses for the ministry’s 24×7 control room.Another asked, “Any idea how many days it will take to restore the internet so that we will be able to contact our kids and no more depend on your messages.”The answer came from someone who had lived through Iran’s previous shutdown six years ago. “Nobody knows about this…. even my family is in tehran.. in 2019 they cut internet for 14 days… better we wait until everything is normal.”As the blackout stretched into its third day, some voices on the channel grew more alarmed.“We request the embassy of India in iran to evacuate all the indians in iran as the tension is rising and the situation is even getting worse,” one user wrote late on January 10. “For the safety of our fellow citizens the embassy should takw necessary actions and evacuate all the indians residing in iran.”“Anyone in support should forward this message so that the government will take necessary actions ASAP,” they added.Then, late on January 11, came a direct word from inside Iran. A student in Ahwaz had managed to reach the Iraqi border and was using an Iraqi SIM card to communicate.“Everything is ok regarding the safety and security of indian students but students are not allowed to go out after 8 and till 26 jan all classes are and exams have been postponed till further notice accept externship students,” the message read.File: Protesters march on a bridge in Tehran, Iran, on December 29, 2025. Photo: AP file via Fars News Agency.It was confirmation that students were safe, but also that normal life had been suspended indefinitely. The message spread quickly through the channel, offering both reassurance and a glimpse of the restrictions students were living under.Another update confirmed that international flights were still operating, though an Iran Air flight from Tehran to Mumbai on January 13 had been cancelled.Practical concerns also surfaced. One woman asked about flights, worried about her husband’s January 14 ticket from Shiraz to Sharjah.As of Sunday, the internet blackout continued. Experts called it “the worst internet shutdown in Iran’s history”, with even Starlink uploads affected as the government launched jamming efforts.