Tasnim � An Iranian Science Ministry official said foreign students of Iranian universities will not be attending this semester�s classes due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

In a video conference on Monday, director of the Science Ministry�s Organization of Students� Affairs said the foreign students will definitely not return to the classes until September 21.

Mojtaba Sediqi said the foreign students who have attended virtual classes can take online examinations.

He further stressed that it is necessary to maintain universities� contacts with the foreign students.

The director general of the Iranian Science Ministry�s office of foreign students said in March that 15,680 foreign students have left Iran for their respective countries at the end of Autumn semester 2020, as part of plans to contain the coronavirus epidemic.

A few days after the outbreak of COVID-19 Iran, the Science Ministry, the Immigration and Passport Police Office, and a number of other organizations made arrangements to let foreign students leave the country in the shortest time possible and without bureaucratic processes, Abdolhamid Alizadeh said at the time.

The outbreak of the coronavirus has led to the closure of schools and universities across Iran. The educational centers will remain closed until at least April 18.