With the U.S.-Iran conflict now in its second week, widespread flight cancellations and airport shutdowns across the Middle East have left numerous Americans overseas desperately seeking routes back home.
Yahir, an American stranded in Bahrain when the fighting began, informed Digital of a narrow escape over the weekend after a suspected Iranian drone crashed into the lower levels of the high-rise where he was residing. The luxury residential tower was said to be home to many American tourists and likely U.S. Navy personnel from the Fifth Fleet, based near the capital of Manama.
Despite seeing the conflict’s frightening scenes and living through such an attack, Yahir, from Los Angeles, stated he is still awaiting aid to return home. He alleges that local U.S. embassies and State Department officials have led him through a labyrinth of logistical obstacles without providing clear guidance.
“My building was struck two days ago,” said Yahir, referencing the Fontana Infinity tower in Manama. “I was inside at the time, and the entire structure shook. It was like an earthquake.”
“It was shocking, but it makes sense because almost everyone living there was American, aside from a few Russians. Fontana was packed with American Navy personnel,” he continued.
Yahir also reported witnessing horrific incidents of Iranian drones and missiles hitting both military sites and civilian zones, causing massive explosions and sending huge columns of smoke into the sky.
“We saw the drone strike the building right in front of us,” Yahir recounted of one attack. “I remember everyone there was crying. They were evacuating all the buildings. People were weeping. It felt truly devastating.”
Explosions have apparently become a daily event, some powerful enough to feel like earthquakes that rattle surrounding neighborhoods.
“The interceptors hitting the missiles make the ground tremble. You feel that every day now,” he said. “It’s been literally every single day.”
The regional turmoil has resulted in residents getting multiple daily mobile phone alerts about incoming missiles, according to reports. Each warning compels civilians to seek cover immediately, Yahir noted, remembering one occasion where he sheltered for over an hour in the basement of a popular mall, The Avenues.
“Now, I even get these alerts in my sleep, and they wake me up,” he stated. “It feels like we get those warnings more than ten times a day.”
The persistent missile strikes have severely disrupted daily life in Bahrain, transforming formerly vibrant areas into near “ghost towns.”
Yahir mentioned his friends have ceased going to their jobs, and stores are either completely shut or closing much earlier than normal.
He added that an increased security presence is noticeable nationwide, with police on almost every corner and large military vehicles conducting daily street patrols.
Yahir voiced profound frustration with the local U.S. Embassy, claiming there has been minimal government help and labeling the entire ordeal as “terrible.”
When asking about evacuation flights, calls to the embassy frequently played an automated message instructing citizens not to expect U.S. government assistance and that embassies cannot help with anything, Yahir reported.
“I believe they need to focus on embassies globally because I feel they are useless to Americans. They don’t help us at all,” Yahir said. “I just want to go home.”
Although he submitted a crisis intake form provided by the State Department, he has gotten little information on evacuation plans. The holdups and absence of clear communication have left him feeling abandoned and worried without a solid strategy to get back, he explained.
The State Department informed Digital on Tuesday that more than 40,000 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East since Feb. 28. A spokesperson said U.S. authorities directly aided over 27,000 of those Americans overseas with travel support and other security advice.
“Led by President Trump and Secretary Rubio, the Department of State has operated over two dozen charter flights and safely evacuated thousands of Americans from the Middle East,” the department stated. “The State Department will continue to actively assist any American citizen who wishes to leave the Middle East.”
American citizens stuck in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel are advised to fill out the Crisis Intake Form on the State Department website or call +1-202-501-4444.