As the conflict between the United States and Iran enters its second week, there have been flight cancellations and airport closures across Middle Eastern skies, leaving many Americans abroad struggling to find a way home.
Yahir, from Los Angeles, said that despite witnessing terrifying scenes of the conflict and experiencing one himself, he is still waiting for help to get home. He claims local U.S. embassies and State Department officials led him through a maze of logistical hurdles with no clear next steps.
“Two days ago my building was hit,” Yahir said, referring to Fontana Infinity, located in Manama. “I was in the building at the time and of course the whole building shook. It felt like an earthquake.”
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“It was a shock, but it makes sense because everyone who lived there was American, apart from a few Russians here and there, but Fontana was full of American Marines,” he added.
Yahir added that he had witnessed horrific scenes of Iranian drones and missiles hitting not only military targets but also civilian areas, causing powerful explosions and sending huge plumes of smoke into the air.
“We saw right in front of our faces how the drone hit it,” said Yahir, describing the moment he witnessed it hit a building. “I remember everyone there was crying. They were evacuating all the buildings. People were crying. It felt really devastating.”
Explosions have reportedly become a daily occurrence, some of which feel like earthquakes that would violently shake nearby areas.
“The interceptors hit the missile and the ground shook. You’ll feel that every day at this point,” he said. “It’s literally been every day.”
The chaos in the region has reportedly led to residents receiving numerous alerts about incoming missiles on their phones every day. Any warning forces citizens to take shelter immediately, Yahir said, recalling an instance where he had to take shelter for more than an hour in a basement of a well-known shopping center, The Avenues.
“Right now I think I get them even when I’m sleeping, and they wake me up,” he said. “I feel like we’re getting these alerts more than 10 times a day.”
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The ongoing rocket attacks have had a profound impact on daily life in Bahrain, turning once bustling areas into virtual ‘ghost towns’.
Yahir said his friends have stopped going to work and shops are completely closed or closing much earlier than normal.
He added that the increased security presence is being felt across the country, with police on almost every corner and large military vehicles patrolling the streets daily.
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Yahir further expressed deep frustration with the local US embassy, saying there was little government support and describing the overall experience as “terrible.”
When inquiring about evacuation flights, calls to the embassy often resulted in an automated message stating that citizens should not expect any assistance from the US government and that embassies cannot assist with anything, according to Yahir.
“I feel like they should focus on the embassies around the world because I think they are useless to Americans. They don’t help us at all,” Yahir said. “I just want to go home.”
Despite submitting a crisis intake form shared by the State Department, he has received few updates on evacuation plans. The delays and lack of clear communication, he said, left him feeling stranded and anxious, with no concrete plan to return home.
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“Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Rubio, the State Department has completed more than 20 charter flights and safely evacuated thousands of Americans from the Middle East,” the department said. “The State Department will continue to actively assist any American citizen who wishes to leave the Middle East to do so.”
U.S. citizens stranded in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel are urged to complete the Crisis Intake Form on the State Department website or call 202-501-4444.
