The U.S. State Department is urging Americans in the Middle East to leave the region immediately as escalating conflict and widespread airspace closures disrupt travel and evacuation efforts. However, , closed embassies and shuttered airspace have created difficulties for Americans who find themselves trapped with few options.
Shanice Day was one of thousands of Americans who said they found themselves stranded in the Middle East after the conflict began. She and her best friend had traveled to Dubai to celebrate her 30th birthday.Â
“We did like a whole desert day,” Day said, “They started calling me their habibi, and they let me play with the falcon.”
Once airspace closed, only a limited number of flights began leaving the region as safety allowed.
Day only had a few days of vacation, before the U.S. and Israel struck on February 28. Even though the airstrikes began that Saturday morning, Day didnt realize there was an issue until that afternoon. By the time Day realized what had happened, Iran was already sending missiles towards the Gulf.
“As soon as I got open my phone, it says like U.S., Israel strikes Iran. So, I told my friend thats back at the hotel, and shes at the beach at the moment. So, Im actually like, Hey, have you seen whats going on?” Day recounted, “She explains that she sees like a missile, almost go across the sky.”
Iran responded to the American and Israeli attacks almost immediately, raining missile and drone strikes across the United Arab Emirates, even hitting Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. With their return flights canceled as the UAE closed its airspace, Day and her friend scrambled to find a way home while also trying to process the seriousness of the situation.
“We just kind of cried. That first 48 hours was so tough for us. Just having to break the news to our parents, because it was so early here. To hear my friends mom be so devastated, and then to hear my own moms voice crack like that. I would not wish this on anyone,” Day said.
Emirati airspace would continue to open intermittently to limited flights, but every rebooked flight would eventually get canceled. Day and her friend eventually made it home to Houston, Texas, by first flying to Australia.
Unlike the UAE, which has long marked itself as a safe oasis for foreigners, travel to Israel has always brought the possibility of conflict.
Jenna Fonberg and Jetlyn Toledo landed at Ben Gurion Airport the day before Israel and the U.S. hit Iran. The friends had planned to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim with Fonbergs older brother, Blake, who lives in Tel Aviv.Â
By the time Fonberg and Toledo landed in Israel, there were already talks of a conflict breaking out in the region.
“The thing about Israel is theres always talk about war breaking out or always talk about conflict. So, if you cancel every single trip based on, I guess rumors of violence coming, you would essentially never come,” Toledo said.
The next day, the trio woke up to sirens telling them to get to the nearest bomb shelter. They said, overtime, they made friends with the familiar faces who repeatedly showed up to the same shelters.
“Theres a lot of new faces today, because its kind of close to the beach, so a lot of people just walking on the boardwalk run in here,” Fonberg said while taking cover during a missile threat.
Blake said he lost his home to a strike during a 12-day conflict with Iran in 2025. He said this time, hes focusing on staying positive.
“We have to stay positive. If we are not positive, we lose. And, I think I really tried to instill that into them [Fonberg and Toledo] day one. I was like, Everythings going to be fine,” Blake said.
Throughout the sirens and strikes, the trio said they kept faith that both the U.S. and Israels militaries would keep them safe. They said it was most important to stay calm through it all.
Fonberg
