Anyone else in Dubai on holiday? AIBU to be panicking with all the flights cancelled?

[tiantian1005]

Not sure when we can go home..anyone has managed to for example drive to nearby countries and fly from there?

Not surprised, because as much as anything some images and reporting could be very useful if the Iranians want to refine/correct the targetting of whatever ordnance they have left.

I hope everyone is soon safely back home xx

Iran still has a Thurs/Fri weekend. I think the school likely was hit with major loss of lffe- just a question of who by.

Yes, I believe the multiple reliable news agencies reporting this. And the lack of denials from Israel. Not that as we've seen from Gaza that Israeli denials are credible. I'm sure the parents of the girls killed won't take much comfort from the fact that the school wasn't the intended target; if the US/IDF intelligence is as good as they're claiming they should have not sent that particular missile.

It's possible to both understand and empathise someone's anxiety at a relatve being in the UAE at the moment, whilst also acknowledging that the UAE has a poor human rights record and a terrible foreign policy (google Sudan.)

We've got very close friends there who live around the corner from some of the missile impact sites (they're not stressed- they just decided not to go out and explain to their young girls they're seeing some historical events unfold) who have a great life in the UAE; we've also got a relative there who's not from the West but has a developing country passport......even as a clever graduate it's shocking the racism and discrimination he faces from the locals and the way the system favours wealthy 'expats' verses 'foreign labourers.'

Saturday is a school day in Iran and many countries in the Middle East

There is very unlikely to be the looting and rioting in Dubai or AD that you might see during a situation like this in other parts of the world.

I completely agree that following the advice of the FO is the wisest way forward for those who are visiting the area currently. Family members who live in the region are staying at home and away from centres such as malls and transport hubs.

Why assume it wasn't an intended target?

Where would you stick sensitive stuff or the most important stuff if you were Iran in order to try and protect it best from a possible Western attack?

If it's right next to a military base who is to say you wouldn't have a shed load of things under the school. It's not like we have seen this in Gaza and it's not like we haven't seen Israel willing to target.

We know that unwillingness to target civilians is only restricted to the west and it's likely that Iran would capitalise on this.

The difference now seems to be that Israel is no longer adverse to targeting such places where civilian shields are being used.

It's deeply uncomfortable and at odds with Western thinking. But that's the point. It's a form of built in propaganda shield because it's a known Western 'internal political weakness'.

Iran is using multiple target to try and force a diplomatic settlement at this point. It's targeting Dubai airport for a reason - because it will put the most pressure on Western and Gulf governments. Remembering how many influential western billionaires live there and how many Western tourists there are there.

It's targeting the oil rigs because that's going to drive up prices. It's targeting the straits because that will stop the flow of trade and drive up prices. It's targeted neutral Oman who were facilitating talks between the US and Iran because it wants to force Gulf states diplomatically to tell the US to stop.

It's actually a race against time on both sides. The US has a limited number of missiles it has it can use to take out Iranian missiles and drones. Iran has limited launch sites and drone storage facilities. It's who can wipe out the others capability first really.

But this also suggests that this stage will be short - air superiority has been key in early engagements involving the US. You will then have longer term security concerns but they will be of a different nature and less frequent.

There's also implications for Ukraine here too. Iran has been supplying Russian with drones. This is probably going to knock out this capability. It is also going to drive up demand for Ukrainian drone tech....

@SeaShellsSanctuary1 the morning news have suggested shuttle services will be laid in at some point.

@Woodfiresareamazing Muscat is, my friend has all her holiday rentals booked out with people waiting for flights, London flight later today mostly but not all could get onto it. No guarantee it won’t be targeted but Oman has stayed out of it so far. Saudi airports are also open

No. Oman has been targeted by Iran this morning. 4 injured. Tanker hit in port. US have issued a shelter in place directive for US citizens in Oman as a result.

I flew back with Oman Air from Muscat on Friday and as a frequent passenger received an email last night informing that flights are still on but subject to delays. No updates from the airline this morning. I hope loved ones out in the region are safe.

Won't the UK be sending a task force to rescue all the patriotic Britons who live in the Emirates , like Richard Tice and Emily Oakeshott?
But seriously , I hope everyone gets home safely and soon.

why are people Dubai bashing started when US and Israel started all this???

For those of us at the back who haven’t been paying attention, why are Iran targeting UAE?

They're part of an Arab alliance against Iran, and for the dismantling of the Islamist regime.

Saturday is a week day in the ME

Oh you think so? I'm not so sure. Dubai is very reliant on importing goods, including food. Yeah things are fine for a day or two. See what happens in weeks.

There are also US bases in the area and Jebel Ali port which I believe was targetted yesterday frequently has American warships resupplying there.
Ironically, there are a lot of Iranians living in DXB but these attacks have succeeded in uniting the Gulf nations and pushing them towards the USA, whatever there reservations may be about Trump and American policy in general.

US has just issue shelter in place directives for US personal and citizens in Oman until further notice too, so that suggests Muscat is not a sensible place to try to escape via

Oman has been hit overnight in Duqum and Thumrait. Neither of those places are near the capital and the airport is still open though operating with a reduced schedule.

Flights to and from Dubai are suspended 'until further notice'. There's really not much anyone stranded there can do at the moment other than stay safe, register with the embassy and have a get away plan ready.
Realistically there is not going to be a military evacuation. With 250,000 Brits there it's just not practical and frankly at the moment, I wouldn't want to be on a plane anywhere near the region.

USA alliance.

It's located directly across the Arabian/Persian gulf so an easy target for their capabilities.

There's been ongoing tensions for decades if not longer.

Revenge.

They know hitting Dubai will generate a lot of impact in media across world and create mass panic.

Most diplomatic pressure on US to stop bombing because Dubai has lots of influential billionaires living there and lots of western tourists who will put pressure on Western governments and because it's not good for the UAE government and it's image so puts pressure on UAE to tell the US not to use bases located there.

It's an act of desperation as they haven't got the capability to take on the US and Israeli armies directly and they know it.

They have to go for softer targets in the hope it will provoke enough anger and fear.

Just keep remembering this is a sign of limited capability. They can't sustain the attacks for long. Every time they launch the US and Israel gain intel about where missiles and drones have come from so they can be taken out before being launched.

The desalination plant is very close to Jebel Ali port - it’s more likely this was the target rather than the port itself, it would have had a huge impact on potable water supplies had it been hit.

Iran are targeting soft targets and made it clear they will target Oman. A border post is a target.

Do you think Iran will be able to launch missiles and drones in weeks time?

Really?