Explosions have been reported throughout Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi as Iran continues its fourth consecutive day of assaults on its Gulf neighbors, following US-Israeli military actions.
Loud noises prompted sirens to wail across the prominent cities of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, with residents noting the intense sounds.
Officials in Dubai have clarified that the booming sounds were the result of ‘interception operations’ carried out by their air defense forces.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Dubai authorities assured the public, stating, “Our teams are vigilantly monitoring the situation and implementing all necessary measures to safeguard public safety.”
Since the passing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have become targets of Iranian missile strikes.
Amidst the unrest, thousands of British nationals remain stranded in the Middle East, as both residents and tourists rush to secure flights to safer destinations.
Many told of ‘terrifying ordeals’ when Iran began retaliatory strikes on tourist and expat hotspots.
The first British evacuation flight from the UAE touched down at Heathrow Airport on Monday evening, with relieved passengers spotted hugging their loved ones in arrival halls.
Fresh explosions have today been heard in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha as Iran continues its retaliatory attacks on the Gulf region
Missiles were spotted in the sky in Dubai, where many Brits remain trapped as the war rages on
Missiles are seen above Doha, Qatar, on Monday as retaliatory Iranian strikes on the Gulf region continued
The Qatari capital has been hit by drones sent from Iran since the killing of the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday (Pictured: Smoke rising following a strike in Doha on Sunday)
Tourists and locals living in Dubai are seen scrambling to leave the city at Dubai International Airport
Today, Emirates and Etihad Airways are operating just five UK-bound flights from the Middle East compared to the dozens they usually run every day. The three scheduled to land at Heathrow from Dubai and Abu Dhabi are all currently delayed.
Emirates will run two flights to Heathrow and one each to Gatwick and Manchester. Etihad Airways has scheduled one flight from Abu Dhabi to London.
Meanwhile, British Airways and Qatar Airways have cancelled all of their timetabled flights between the Middle East and the UK as airspaces remain closed.
British tourists caught up in scenes of disarray at Dubai Airport have spoken of their nightmare experiences trying to get home as the city comes under fire from an Iranian drone attack.
Jessica Tennant, 30, from Lincoln, who has been on a two-week holiday to the UAE with her young children, said: ‘It has been incredibly stressful.
‘We have heard absolutely nothing (from the Government or airlines). We have had no updates. We are checking the news hourly because we have not been told anything.
‘We flew with Emirates and we’ve had no contact at all. We are due to fly on Thursday but we have no idea if that is going ahead.’
Grandmother Mina Pattni, 62 and her family were staying at the Fairmont Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah, which was hit by either a drone or debris, starting a fire.
‘It was absolutely terrifying,’ said Mina, from Leicester. ‘We were just sitting down to eat on Saturday night when we heard some interceptions of drones or missiles in the air.
‘That was scary enough, but just as we ordered, there was this terrific bang and we could see that the side of the building had been hit and everyone was evacuated until the fire was extinguished.’
Mina was travelling with her husband Latash, 67, and their daughter and son in law and two grandsons Krish, two and 5-month-old Rohin.
‘The children were very frightened,’ said Mina. ‘They picked up the slightly panicky mood from the other guests, though the hotel staff were very good and still managed to serve cold food, even though the gas in the hotel had to be turned off.
‘With our flight home on Sunday cancelled, we decided to stay with a relative in Dubai, mainly so that the children would be in a calmer atmosphere.’
Like several other Brits congregated outside Terminal 3 at DXB this morning, the Pattnis hoped to make it on an Emirates flight to Heathrow, or possibly a later one to Gatwick.
Travellers were corralled outside the busy Emirates terminal waiting to be called forward for their flights, heading mostly for Russia and the Indian sub-continent, but with a few headed for the UK and Europe.
Many of the people laden down with luggage in the throng were critical of poor communications from the airline, but said they couldn’t fault the hotels where they had to extend their stays.
Father and son James, 18 and Jim Dixon, 61, from Leicester, were due to fly back to the UK from Dubai on Saturday afternoon, and after checking in, they were held at the airport for five hours before being moved to a hotel to begin the long wait.
But as Iranian missiles continue to rain down across the Middle East, some Britons have remained stranded in Dubai and have had to take shelter in car parks and nightclubs.
Tourists posted videos of drones and debris hitting luxury hotels over the weekend.
Many escorted their guests to safer ground in car parks and service corridors. Videos posted on social media show guests lying on floors, mattresses or just a thin blanket.
This is a breaking story, more to follow.
