SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Two Utah mothers stranded in Dubai after the outbreak of war involving Iran say they are desperate to return home as flight cancellations continue to leave them stuck in the region.
Sierra Nord and her best friend, Arianne Morgan, were traveling on a world religion tour when the conflict escalated this week following U.S. strikes on Iran. Since then, they say the situation around them has been tense and frightening.
“It’s been life-changing,” the two said during an interview about the first part of their world tour.
At one point, they say they looked up and saw missile intercepts in the sky.
“We looked up in the sky and actually saw some of the missiles being intercepted,” they said. “Sierra and I looked at each other, and we’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, is this really happening? Are they going to bomb us next?’”
The women say their phones continue to light up with alerts as they hear missiles, drones, and explosions nearby. For now, they say they remain safe inside their hotel.
Their biggest challenge has been getting home. The pair had planned to fly back to Utah on Sunday, but their flight out of Dubai was canceled. Since then, they say they have repeatedly rebooked flights only to see them canceled hours later.
“We were supposed to fly out Sunday morning here in Dubai and get home to Salt Lake Sunday evening,” they said. “They’ve canceled that flight. We reschedule them just to have like six hours later they’ve canceled again, and that has literally been every day.”
Back in Utah, Sierra Nord’s husband, Scott Nord, says the uncertainty has been difficult.
“It’s just unsettling to have missiles flying and drones flying and things being shot down and being really half a world away,” he said. “You feel kind of helpless here on the home front.”
He says the family is exploring every possible option to get the women home, including hearing about potential military or chartered evacuation flights.
“We’re not sure how to get them out, but we just want to look at options,” Nord said.
Both women say the hardest part is being away from their children. “We miss them, and we’re trying to do everything we can to get back to them,” they said.
According to the office of Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee, staff members are working with the United States Department of State to assist Americans impacted by the situation in the region.
“Senator Lee is following this situation closely, and his team is working with the State Department to ensure the safe and swift return of Utahns to the United States. Senator Lee encourages you to reach out to his team if you need assistance by calling (801) 524-5933.”
Americans needing assistance in the Middle East can call +1-202-501-4444 or visit step.state.gov for more information.
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