American tourists stranded in Dubai amid escalating tensions with Iran say they are struggling to get home, facing repeated flight cancellations and growing security concerns as the State Department urges U.S. citizens to leave parts of the region.
"We’ve been rescheduled several times. And in fact, while I was waiting to come… on air, I found out that our flight tonight has also been canceled, so we’re kind of back to square one," said Louise Herrle, a Pennsylvania resident stuck in Dubai.
Herrle joined "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday, where she discussed the hurdles preventing her from returning to the U.S.
Though she was scheduled to depart late Sunday night, Herrle said her flight — originally set to land in Washington, D.C., on Monday morning — has been canceled multiple times as Operation Epic Fury is underway.
"It's quite difficult actually to find real information. The State Department has been helpful. They've been providing alerts. We've been getting alerts from Dubai Airport, which is the one that I just received canceling my flight," she shared.
"However, I think since… it's been going on now for several days, things seem to be much quieter here the last couple of days."
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But that sense of calm was shaken overnight, she said, after a drone strike near the U.S. consulate in Dubai.
"That was quite close to my hotel," Herrle said. "I didn’t realize a drone strike had happened, but I heard many fighter jets… going by the hotel. It was a lot of activity around midnight, 1 a.m."
"There’s just a lot of heightened concern with that happening," she said, noting rumors of possible military evacuations.
This comes as the State Department urges Americans to leave more than a dozen countries across the Middle East.
Kristy Ellmer, a New Hampshire resident also stranded in Dubai, said the situation has fluctuated dramatically in recent days.
"The weekend was really sort of very impactful. There were, I think, hundreds of missiles and drones," Ellmer told "The Will Cain Show" on Tuesday.
"But then Monday and Tuesday became pretty slow, and I would say up until about a few hours ago, we started to feel a lot of explosions again…"
Ellmer said one strike hit a hotel near where she is staying.
"The Fairmont is actually just across the water from us, so we can see it from our hotel," she said. "There’s some fear as you think about how does it potentially affect your hotel when it’s close."
Like Herrle, Ellmer said she has faced repeated flight cancellations while trying to leave Dubai.
Americans needing assistance in the Middle East are encouraged to call +1-202-501-4444 or visit step.state.gov for more information.
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