All posts tagged: Stranded

Indian Sailors Stranded off Iran Just Want to Go Home

Indian Sailors Stranded off Iran Just Want to Go Home

Published by Sam Flores

NEW DELHI, March 14 (Reuters) – Stranded for two weeks at the Iranian port ⁠of ⁠Bandar Abbas as drones and missiles set ⁠ships ablaze nearby, 26-year-old seafarer Ambuj says he has not been home for six months and cannot ​wait to see his family. Ambuj, who asked Reuters not to use his second name for security reasons, is one of about 23,000 Indians working on merchant, harbour ‌and offshore vessels across the wider Gulf ‌region, which is bearing the brunt of the war between Iran and the United States and Israel. Hundreds of tankers and cargo ships have been waiting ⁠to pass through ⁠the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks have killed three Indian crew members and left ​another missing. The plight of Indian sailors in and around the Strait has become a major issue at home, with Delhi saying it is coordinating with multiple authorities, including in Iran, to ensure their safety. “We know how dangerous it could be to sail without a navy escort or without permission,” Ambuj said by phone from ​his …

In Dubai, thousands of tourists left stranded by war in Iran

In Dubai, thousands of tourists left stranded by war in Iran

Published by Sam Flores

On the sixth day of a fruitless wait, on Thursday, March 5, nerves began to fray. “Yes or no, is anyone going to answer us?” shouted a visibly agitated man, pounding his fist on the reception desk in a tower in Dubai’s upscale Marina neighborhood along the waterfront. Gathered at the entrance to the building housing the French consulate, tourists who have been stranded in the United Arab Emirates since February 28 – the day US-Israeli operations began in Iran and Iranian retaliatory strikes hit the entire Middle East region – are running out of patience. So far, two French government planes have repatriated 400 to 500 people deemed “vulnerable.” But since then, nothing has happened. On Thursday evening, an Air France flight chartered by Paris to repatriate French nationals from the United Arab Emirates had to turn back to Egypt due to missile fire “in the area.” For some, the repeated announcements on Thursday of a “very limited” resumption of certain flights, according to Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, only intensified the feeling of abandonment …

Trump administration criticized as thousands of Americans are stranded in war zone 

Trump administration criticized as thousands of Americans are stranded in war zone 

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON — In the days after the U.S. and Israel launched an air war against Iran, the State Department issued new advisories warning Americans to reconsider traveling to several countries in the region. By then, it was too late. Thousands of Americans are now stranded in the Middle East as Iran retaliates with drone attacks on U.S. facilities, prompting Democratic lawmakers and current and former State Department officials to sharply criticize the Trump administration for failing to plan for what they say was a predictable scenario. “You would have had far fewer people in harm’s way,” a senior State Department official said on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. U.S. citizens marooned in countries like Jordan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have received conflicting advice from the State Department. They were told to evacuate as soon as possible in some places even though airports were closed. The State Department also advised people to contact U.S. embassies for assistance, only for them to be met with busy signals or …

Brits stranded on Dubai cruise ships told ‘seek immediate shelter’ | UK | News

Brits stranded on Dubai cruise ships told ‘seek immediate shelter’ | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Around 130,000 Brits have registered as stranded in the Gulf (stock image) (Image: Noor Pictures/Shutterstock) Britons and hundreds of other travellers have been plunged into a nightmare cruise ordeal after their liner became stranded in the crisis-stricken Middle East. Donald Trump‘s US-led assault on Iran has sent shockwaves throughout the region and beyond, leaving thousands requiring evacuation after travelling for holidays in Dubai, with the UAE amongst nations struck in targeted missile attacks. Amongst those thousands are passengers aboard six cruise ships docked at ports in the Gulf nation and its neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi, who have been left terror-stricken as their vessels remain unable to sail out of danger. Those passengers have now revealed the pandemonium aboard their cruise liners, including the “loud bangs” as missiles detonate in interceptions occurring nearby. Read more: Kurdish fighters pour into Iran as rattled regime panics Read more: ‘It is the time for jihad’ in UK says still-not-banned IRGC Speaking to CNN, Lesley Ballantyne, from Scotland, said she and her husband woke one morning on the ship to …

“Did not help us at all”: Hundreds of Americans stranded overseas following Iran strikes

“Did not help us at all”: Hundreds of Americans stranded overseas following Iran strikes

Published by Sam Flores

The war in Iran caught many people by surprise, including thousands of traveling Americans. Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran over the weekend plunged the region into conflict. Hundreds of civilians have reportedly been killed in Iran. Casualties have been reported in multiple other countries, including Israel, Oman and the U.A.E. Many Americans were still in the region as hostilities commenced, and were left with little help from both the State Department and U.S. embassies. President Donald Trump said there was no evacuation plan in place following the strikes, because the joint operation “happened very quickly.” “We thought and I thought…we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. Consular services were suspended by the U.S. embassy in Qatar, which advised Americans to “shelter-in-place” or leave if possible, though the embassy would not be providing assistance. The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem said it is “working closely with Washington to support American citizens in the region” but did not mention arranging evacuations. The situation and lack of …

Stranded Britons in Middle East – what you need to know as charter flights announced | UK News

Stranded Britons in Middle East – what you need to know as charter flights announced | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

The UK government has announced its first charter flights for British nationals stranded in the Middle East as the US-Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes enter their fifth day. It comes as an estimated 300,000 Britons are believed to be in affected regions of the Middle East. Follow the latest updates on the conflict with Iran Thousands of flights have been cancelled since the joint US-Israeli operation was launched against Iran on Saturday, but some airlines are now operating out of the region again. Here’s all you need to know. What’s the latest travel advice for affected areas – and what flights are happening? The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE, and against any travel whatsoever to and from Israel and Palestine. You can find out the latest travel advice for all Middle East countries by visiting the government’s website. After days of cancellations, airlines appear to be boosting the number of flights out of the Middle East to Britain. On Wednesday, Emirates was expected …