San Francisco International Airport welcomed its first non-stop Emirates flight from the Middle East since the start of the Iran war.
Thursday marked long-awaited reunions as passengers from Dubai finally embraced their loved ones.
Several travelers told ABC7 Eyewitness News their work trips became ordeals, leaving them stranded as conflict erupted. They described tense days sheltering, hearing distant explosions, and uncertainty about when they could return home.
Heather Doherty of Alameda set out for India on business, but her plans changed when her connecting flight from Dubai was forced to return mid-air because of escalating violence.
“I couldn’t be more relieved to be home,” Doherty said.
“It was five days of uncertainty, but I’m thrilled to be back on American soil,” she told the outlet.
“I spent the first night huddled on the floor next to my bed, worried about the windows exploding — so you hear alerts going off, you hear explosions in the sky,” she added.
Susan Daley from Chicago was also in the Middle East for work and described her experience to ABC. “We had a lovely lunch, then the bombing started, so we went back to the hotel, and at that point, we were sheltering in place, locked down, doing whatever they told us to do.”
For Dubai residents Jeyaram and Jayant Deshpande, the idea of returning to the Middle East brought no hesitation.
“The civilians are so safe,” said Venkatesh Jeyaram of Dubai. “We are very well taken care of. I’m absolutely not worried about going back to Dubai.”
The joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign, Operation Epic Fury, has escalated into a full-scale conflict to dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and achieve regime change.
As of March 5, 2026, the strikes have reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and devastated the Iranian Navy, while Tehran has retaliated with massive missile and drone barrages against U.S. bases and allies across the Persian Gulf.