Pune MBA students stranded in Dubai after US-Israel attack on Iran; all safe

The Indira University students departed from Pune on February 22 and 23 and were scheduled to come back on February 28 and March 1.

2 min readPuneMar 1, 2026 01:25 PM IST

The Iranian national flag flies at half-mast at the Iranian embassy in New Delhi on Sunday following the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israel strike. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

As many as 84 MBA students from Pune’s Indira University who were on a study tour have been stranded in Dubai after their flights back to India on February 28 and March 1 were cancelled due to airspace closure following the US-Israel attack on Iran and Iran’s retaliation.

All students are safe and back at the hotel, said Dr Shivendu Bhusan, the administrative director at Indira University.

“The situation there is quite safe. We have spoken to the students as well as the parents. Four faculty members are with the students. The hotel is quite far from danger. We are in touch with the authorities. The travel partner has spoken to the Dubai embassy, and our vice-chancellor has spoken to the Ministry of External Affairs. The teachers are also in contact with the parents. Our management has spoken to the hotel manager in Dubai and asked them to provide the best service until the students are there,” Bhusan told The Indian Express.

The trip is an immersion programme involving a four-day study tour with visits to the University of Middlesex campus in Dubai and two days of sightseeing, said Dr Bhusan. The students departed from Pune on February 22 and 23 in two batches and were scheduled to come back on February 28 and March 1. However, airspace closure due to conflict in the region cancelled both flights.

The US and Israel launched an unprompted attack on Iran on February 28. The strikes in Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials. Visuals also emerged from an attack on a girls’ school in Minab, which killed at least 85 students, the BBC reported, citing a state media report. Iran’s retaliation targeted US military bases in countries like Bahrain, as well as sites in other countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Airspace over much of the region remains closed due to the conflict.

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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