DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — It was supposed to be a romantic getaway for Sarah Mettee and her husband, a warm winter break in Dubai away from their three young children to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.
Instead of relaxing in the sunshine, Mettee told NBC News on Monday, they had “seen and heard a lot of rockets — some of which had been “intercepted right outside of our hotel” — and called it “terrifying.” NBC News agreed not to name the hotel over fears it could be targeted because there are a lot of American tourists staying there.
Now, like hundreds of thousands of travelers across the Middle East, Mettee is stranded in the region. Flights have been grounded after Iran retaliated with strikes on many of its neighbors, including the United Arab Emirates, after the United States and Israel bombarded the Islamic Republic, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“We were really looking forward to this trip,” she said Tuesday at her hotel, adding that it was “not cheap and something we’ve never done before, just the two of us.”
“Trying to get away is really hard,” said Mettee, 45, who arrived in Dubai last Monday. She added that she was worried it would be days before they could return home to their three children, ages 16, 9 and 8, in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Defense Ministry in the UAE, an oil-rich federation of seven sheikhdoms, said Sunday that its air defenses had intercepted and stopped 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and more than 540 Iranian drones over two days.
And Mettee said the U.S. Embassy has told them to shelter in place and they have not left the hotel since then. She added that she had tried to book multiple flights “just trying to get out as quickly as possible,” but every one they’d booked so far had been canceled.
“We just want to get home to our kids,” she said, adding that they have family “at home that takes care of them while we’re gone,” although she was worried it “could be 10, 12, 14 days that we’re going to be here without our kids.”
After the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran over the weekend, the Islamic Republic launched retaliatory attacks on several nations, including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia, as well as the UAE.
Dubai International Airport — the world’s busiest international hub — was closed for the third consecutive day Monday, although it is expected to reopen in the evening.
The Dubai Media Office said Sunday that the airport had been damaged and four employees were injured.
It added that there was also a fire at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port, the city’s main sea terminal and a major shipping hub.
Videos and pictures posted to social media Sunday also showed flames licking the facade of the famous Burj Al Arab hotel and smoke rose into the sky near the iconic Burj Khalifa, the 2,723-foot skyscraper which towers above the city.
Others showed a fire Saturday outside the Fairmont hotel on the prestigious artificial Palm Jumeirah island.
Alex Bocquet said he was meeting some friends near the Fairmont when “heard this huge explosion.”
The 30-year-old CEO of The Modern Freelancer said Monday that he had been living in Dubai for more than a year and had always felt safe there, “but at that point, that was just a little bit too close for comfort.”
After calling some friends, he said, they resolved to leave the city as quickly as possible. So, after going back to his place to grab “my passport, as much cash as I could, some matches, a sweater in case we got stranded somewhere that’s cold in the middle of the night,” he said they drove into the desert where they had rented a place.
Dubai felt to them like “the epicenter of the Iranian threats,” he said, adding that he thought Tehran was targeting the city because it was “the capital of tourism.”
“We’re lucky enough that most of us are in business and work remotely,” he said, adding that they would stay in their rented accommodation for as long as it took.
“We got a little bit spooked by what happened at the Fairmont,” he said.
For Mettee, the priority was getting home as soon as possible, but she said the attack on the airport had her worried.
“I sure don’t want to be flying out if they’re going to be attacking the airport, they’re trying to shut down this place,” she said, adding that their three children knew they were delayed and would be home as soon as possible.
Her 16-year-old son was “holding it together,” she said, adding, “He’s so cool, calm, and collected.”
Keir Simmons reported from Dubai. Shira Pinson and Sara Monetta reported from London.
