Several Swedes are stranded in countries like Oman, Qatar, and Dubai due to Iranian counterattacks against the US and Israel. Flights are canceled and hotels are filling up as people seek safety. Travelers describe chaos and fear of new explosions.
On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel attacked several targets in Iran, leading to the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian reports. Iran responded with attacks on Israel and US bases in the Middle East, including in Qatar and Dubai. Hundreds of deaths are reported by the Iranian Red Crescent, and President Masoud Pezeshkian is to lead a transitional government.
In Oman, which has so far been spared, the country has become a refuge. Swede Robert Karjel, who has been in the country to hike in the Hajar Mountains, describes how hotels in Muscat suddenly filled up. 'People are coming here a bit head over heels. My impression is that they have packed what they have around them, taken the children and the car and driven across the border to get to safety,' he says. Many airlines have canceled flights from Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain. Karjel has booked tickets with Turkish Airlines to Istanbul but worries if the flight will take off. 'No missiles are falling and I feel extremely safe where I am right now.'
In Qatar, Leo Pettersson, 38, experienced explosions that shook the windows in his apartment in Doha. 'We could see from our balcony that a lot of missiles were flying. Then it was throughout the day really. We stopped counting after 50 or 100 missiles,' he recounts. Sirens sounded and hysteria broke out in grocery stores where people bought water and basic goods.
In Dubai, Pamela Nemati and her family are stranded after arriving just before the airspace closed. They heard an explosion against the Fairmont The Palm hotel and sought shelter in a windowless room. 'I haven't slept for three days because I'm so worried,' she says. Similar experiences are shared by 18-year-old Lina Lind, who saw an attack on a nearby hotel and spent the night in a toilet. 'I saw the bomb with my own eyes and I thought: 'Is today the day I will die?'' Her flights are canceled until March 4.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry estimates that thousands of Swedes are stuck, and assistance is limited as long as the airspaces are closed.