SALT LAKE CITY — Two Utah women are stranded in Dubai after their flights home were repeatedly canceled, leaving them and hundreds of other Americans uncertain of when they will return to the U.S. following military strikes in the region.
Arianne Morgan and Sierra Nord, best friends from Utah, were on the last four days of a tour that had taken them through India.
“We had signed up to do a world religion tour with David Butler and the Fun For Less Tours Group,” said Morgan.
Their trip took a turn during their stay in Dubai when the U.S. struck Iran.
“We walked out of the Mosque, and we heard the bombs. We heard five very distinct bombs and looked up in the sky and saw the smoke,” she said.
Since then, their attempts to get home have been a series of frustrations as airlines have canceled flights due to unsafe airspace.
“We just keep having our flights... canceled, canceled, canceled. They’re not flying because the airspace is not safe. We’ve heard and seen missiles,” said Morgan.
Nord described the emotional toll of the uncertainty.
“So frustrated and disappointed,” she said. “I feel like it’s just been a roller coaster. We think we’re getting out on a flight, and then it’s canceled.”
Both women are mothers and said their primary concern is getting back to their families.
“We are both moms. I am a mother of five and a grandmother,” said Morgan.
And Nord is a mother of four.
Their families back in Utah are growing more concerned with each passing day.
“Each day that passes has gotten a little more unnerving for us as a family,” said Sierra’s sister, Sicely Buxton. “We’ve got our U.S. citizens out there that need help.”
The families have been in contact with Utah's elected officials, pleading for government intervention.
A spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Blake Moore’s office said they have been “working tirelessly to bring Americans home.” Similarly, Sen. Mike Lee’s office stated they are following the situation closely and are working with the State Department to ensure a safe return.
Morgan said there are more than 300 U.S. citizens currently stranded in Dubai with them, and the fear of a prolonged stay is setting in.
“We have heard that it could be up to months, and we… that just obliterates all of our hope,” she said.
Buxton said the families are asking for a clear course of action. “The U.S. Government to order an evacuation and make some kind of plan,” she said.
For now, Morgan and Nord are safe in their hotel, holding on to optimism.
“We have hope,” said Morgan. “That’s what’s saving us: the hope.”
From thousands of miles away, their families share that sentiment.
“We’re all ready for them to be home, here. With us,” said Buxton.
