The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), acting through the Defence Advisor in Turkey, Major General Bob Ogiki, has successfully evacuated 43 Ugandan students who were stranded in Tehran, Iran.
The students have been relocated to Turkey, where they are currently safe and awaiting repatriation back to Uganda.
This evacuation was executed in direct response to the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Iran. Over the weekend, joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeted multiple locations across the country, including the capital, Tehran.
The strikes reportedly resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering immediate retaliatory attacks from Tehran and plunging the region into a state of heightened alert.
The successful extraction of the 43 students by Major General Ogiki marks a critical first step in ensuring the safety of Ugandan nationals caught in the conflict zone.
Efforts are still underway to locate, rescue, and evacuate other Ugandans who may remain stranded in various parts of Iran. Authorities are working to establish contact with any citizens still in the country and coordinate their safe passage out.



