8-Year-Old Boy Who Lost Contact in Iran: "I Wanted to Go Back"

Returns to Chinese School After 42 Days Out of Contact
War Breaks Out After Leaving Iran, Flights Canceled

It has been reported that a Chinese elementary school student who lost contact with his homeroom teacher after returning to his hometown of Iran in January has safely returned.

On the 6th (local time), the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Radin (8), an Iranian boy attending Shaoxing Boya International School in China, returned after being out of contact for 42 days since April 27. When Radin, dressed in his school uniform, reappeared, his classmates reportedly greeted him with joy and hugged him tightly.

Radin told local media, "I asked my teacher not to tell my friends about this news," and added, "I wanted to surprise my friends."

Iranian boy Radin (8, left) attending an international school in China. Photo by SCMP

He also said, "While I was in Iran, I wanted to return to China every day. I missed my friends."

Radin is an Iranian boy attending an international school in China. His family has been engaged in a trade business in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, in eastern China for the past three years. In early January, Radin's older brother and mother returned to Iran first due to business reasons, and Radin followed his father to Iran on the 15th of the same month. Afterward, the homeroom teacher maintained contact with Radin's mother through a social networking service (SNS) application. At the time, Radin's family stated that they planned to return to China within 20 days.

However, on February 28, airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iran began, which resulted in the cancellation of the Radin family's flights. To make matters worse, all contact was lost. This situation continued until the 11th of last month. However, Radin's mother sent a message saying, "We are okay," which reassured the teacher.

Radin's family managed to obtain tickets for a flight to Shanghai on the 22nd of last month, and on the 27th, he was able to return to school. Song Jiaqing, Radin's homeroom teacher, told the media, "The children in the class kept asking about Radin's well-being during his absence," and added, "They asked me to let him know what had happened at school while he was away by writing letters and drawing pictures." The classmates' drawings and handwritten letters were compiled into a book and presented to Radin as a gift.

Radin's mother expressed her gratitude to the school, saying, "Thank you for waiting for us," and "Thank you for everything you've done for us."

As this news spread online, it recorded more than 20 million views on social media and other platforms. Chinese netizens responded with comments such as, "It's touching that the children ran to hug Radin," and "I'm relieved that he is safe."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.