TEHRAN –
Government has named the first group of 43 students who were successfully evacuated from Tehran, Iran’s capital, amid heavy bombardment by the US and Israel.
The group is expected back in the country on Thursday (March 5, 2026) at Entebbe International Airport.
Children and youth affairs state minister Balaam Barugahara said the group is expected to land at Entebbe International Airport aboard Ethiopian Airlines.
“Efforts are ongoing to repatriate the remaining 53 students currently studying at QOM University in Iran,” Barugahara said.
In a social media post on X, Barugahara thanked President Yoweri Museveni and Ugandan embassies in Iran and Turkey for “successfully facilitating the return of our young people who were studying at Ahlul Bayt International University.”
On Monday, the foreign Affairs ministry permanent secretary Aggrey Bagiire confirmed the evacuation.
Several other Ugandans are still stuck in the Middle East, especially in Dubai, after several cities and towns in there were hit by missiles and drones – part of an attack launched by Iran across the region in response to the attack against it by US and Israel.
Uganda Communications Commission executive director Nyombi Thembo over the weekend took to his X account to voice his frustrations.
“War is news when it’s thousands of kilometres away. But when a missile hits a hotel just a few kilometres from where you are staying, it becomes a live threat. Then, elevator gossip suggests you are too near a landmark building that could be targeted, forcing you to consider relocating.
At that moment, you become part of the war. Many people view the conflict between Iran and the US/Israel as a war between nations—a distant threat that doesn’t require their worry.
But that isn’t the case when an innocent boy from Kassanda gets entangled in the conflict while transiting to Barcelona for duty. Now, no planes are taking off or landing in Dubai. For how long, God knows—and another missile might land. Prayers needed,” Thembo said.
However, Bagiire said; “They (Ugandans) are not the only ones who are stuck. The entire world is stuck in Dubai. Until the entire space is opened, we are just advising them to stay cautious where they are and ensure they are not in harm’s way.”
On Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Ugandans living in Iran to take safety precautions and leave the country through any available means following escalating military attacks on Tehran