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Luisa Zissman and Other Influencers in Dubai Update After Missile Strikes: “We Have Never Been So Scared In Our Lives”
Luisa Zissman is among the several celebrities and social media personalities who are sharing their scared updates from Dubai after the news of missiles being launched, describing it as the “night that they have never been so scared in their lives.”
The 38 years old TV personality who is residing in the UAE is also among the numerous reality stars and social media content creators who have relocated to Dubai and are now updating their fans as the events are taking place.
In the most unnerving update, she said she was on a trip to the park when she heard some explosions, so she ran away and now she is keeping her kids inside the house and playing with them to keep them calm while she also is trying to be calm along with them in these uncertain times.
Celebrity Luisa Zissman and Dubai Stars Recount Their Night of Horror After Explosions
After missile attacks in Dubai, a shaken Luisa Zissman and other celebs like Petra Ecclestone and Arabella Chi shared their scary experiences. The 38-year-old TV star called it the “scariest night of my life” after it was reported that Iranian airstrikes targeted the Palm Jumeirah area around the weekend.
As she was walking her kids to the park, Zissman, a mother of three, heard the four explosions so loud that they even physically shook her house. She had no choice but to go to the basement with her kids right after. “It was really very unsettling and frightening,” she said in her Instagram Story, including pictures of her children making bread at home to pass time.
The Apprentice veteran showed her trust in the UAE security forces to protect the city from any harm. Kate Ferdinand and Sam Faiers, who are also foreigners living locally, commented on her post, and various city influencers witnessed the sudden panic and unrest through social media broadcasts.
Luisa Zissman and Dubai-Based Stars Recall the “Scariest Night” After Explosions
Luisa Zissman was among celebrities who were terror-stricken and shared updates about Dubai after the missile strikes, other members of the group being Petra Ecclestone and Love Island star Arabella Chi. The 38-year-old TV personality stated the incident was the “scariest night of her life” after air strikes were reported to have hit the area this weekend.
Zissman, who is a mom of three, had no other option but to go down to the basement on Sunday after she heard four thunderous explosions that totally shook the house while she was in the midst of taking the kids to the park. “It felt like a dream and I was really scared,” she revealed on social, later sharing posts of them baking buns and burgers to keep the kids entertained indoors.
Along with her trust in the UAE defense system to protect the people, the mother of three was the first to post after she was updated on the situation when multiple retaliation attacks followed the U.S. airstrikes on the Middle East. A number of the city’s influencers stayed in contact as they documented the constant gunfire above them while they were in their homes.
Luisa Zissman and Dubai-Based Stars Express Their Fears Post Air Attacks
Luisa Zissman is among the celebrities based in Dubai who have been sharing their anxious state of mind as air defence systems in the UAE shot down incoming missiles and drones. Assuring their followers they are currently “safe”, a majority of them confessed it was scary to hear the explosions all through the night.
Luisa who moved from the UK to Dubai last December with her family and horses shared a selfie with the caption, “Lots of messages re Dubai. Lots of bangs we are hearing. Stay safe fellow UAE gang.”
On Instagram, F1 heiress Petra Ecclestone also expressed her feelings and her experience as if it was “one of the most scary, worst nights actually of my life.” She also said, “We came to Dubai to feel safe and we finally felt like we were settling in and now this has happened. So it’s really kind of been a shocking turn of events.”
Petra Ecclestone Shares Struggle to Comfort Children During Dubai Attacks
F1 heiress Petra Ecclestone has revealed how tough it was to keep her four kids—Lavinia, James, Andrew, and Minnie—safe during the Dubai explosions. Although she is thankful her family escaped unharmed, she confesses that the incident was one of the scariest moments in her life.
“I really don’t know answers to some things, and that was such a sad feeling — just being asked what’s going to happen next, if it will ever stop, and hearing the bangs in the night,” Ecclestone said in an Instagram post.
The mother of four went on to say that it was a double emotional blow for her as she had to both keep her kids calm and deal with her own fear. “I guess it was just trying to keep them safe and telling them that it’s all right. But then as a mum you obviously don’t have all the answers. So yeah, it was hard,” she said, praising her fans for their support as the family processes the shocking events.
Reliving the Terror of Hearing Explosions Around Her: Petra Ecclestone Talks about “Eye-Opening” Night as Besiege the Region Have Been Going On
Petra Ecclestone remembered the terror of hearing explosions over her head in Dubai and described it as “eye-opening experience”. She stated that it made her firsthand understand the difficulties of war that other families in the world are facing.
“I really do not understand how people who have lived through histories of wars and have had to make it a day-to-day life like my dad, can call it ‘normal life’. We even have to deal with kids going to school facing all that anxiety and fear,” she told. “It was quite an eye-opening experience last night.”
As the situation deteriorated, news surfaced that Iran had fired hundreds of missiles and sent suicide drones towards Dubai as a part of a wider attack across the Middle East, with several blast reports coming from neighboring countries. Iran has promised what it called its “most severe military action ever”.
The strikes were said to be Tehran’s response to its confirmation that the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in U.S.-Israeli joint attacks, along with members of his family and senior military figures.
Panic in Dubai as Explosions Continue; Petra Ecclestone’s Husband Praises Air Defences
Tourists and residents in Dubai were panicked and scared after the news of Iranian suicide drones bombing the cities’ famous places like Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah. The city has been pulsed with panic and more explosions have been reported in the morning which were heard across the whole city.
Sam Palmer, the husband of F1 heiress Petra Ecclestone, publicly addressed the situation and thanked followers for their messages. He also said that people sometimes feel like safety is not in their hands.
“Thank you so much for the kind messages. The fact that we are all safe is a miracle, however, one of my pet hates is when people say, stay safe, as if it’s really an option,” he shared.
Palmer went on to describe the moment when around 12:30 a.m., phones were said to have received an emergency alert, telling people to take cover as missiles were coming.
“All you can hear is loud, loud noises of the missiles being intercepted, it seems, by the defence team doing an amazing job,” he added, praising the military response and urging them to “keep it up.”
Fear During Attacks as Influencers Describe After Dubai Airports Closed
Due to safety concerns, it is reported that Dubai’s airports have been closed and flights suspended, and the authorities have been advising the residents and tourists not to make travel plans while the situation is unfolding.
With the situation still unknown, Sam Palmer—husband of Petra Ecclestone—came out with one more update, revealing that the strikes have been very frightening to his family. “I know on TV it looks a lot worse, but yes it is scary. The kids don’t like it. We don’t like it. It’s the first time I’ve been in a missile attack,” he explained, indicating that he would have liked it to be “over very, very soon.”
Additionally, he was grateful for the support shown by the fans, making a joke about the countless good wishes but he really valued the messages.
Personality of the reality Arabella Chi also shared a post about the chaos, revealing that her brother who came to visit her in Dubai is now trapped there until the situation gets sorted out. She expressed her gratitude to the fans for their concern, and said that the messages “mean more than you know.”
Arabella Chi Reports on Continuous Explosions in Dubai and Her Fear
Reality star Arabella Chi has posted a series of updates from Dubai, describing the previous day as completely new and unfamiliar to her.
“Things out here are extremely scary right now,” she remarked, adding that the noises of exploding shells could still be heard when she was filming the video. “That is the one thing that matters, we are safe. I even don’t know if you can hear it, but I am recording right now and the shots keep going off.”
Chi said that her brother and sister-in-law, who came to visit her, are now stuck in the city after their return flights to the UK were reportedly cancelled. She talked about the fear of hearing and seeing the attacks from her place. “Last night we even saw them from our window, this time they were so close to our house, and it was terrifying,” she commented.
The Love Island actress mentioned how grateful she felt that her little girl Gigi is too young to get the whole thing. “It’s such a blessing that Gigi is at that stage where she doesn’t get what’s happening. I have a lot of friends whose kids get it and I really sympathize with them.”
Chi asked her fans in Dubai to share love and care amongst themselves and to stay indoors while doing everything they can to stay safe.
Love Island Celebs Sammy Root and Kady McDermott Reveal Their Shared Fear During Dubai Strikes
Love Island alum Sammy Root has opened up about his disbelief upon arriving in Dubai as the missile attacks were starting. Looking back at the run of bad luck in their trip, Sammy shared on social media, “First ever day in Dubai, get me out of Dubai immediately.”
After the threat of the strikes, Kady McDermott who lives with her boyfriend Henry Simmons in Dubai posted about the scary situation. She thanked everyone for their concern messages and wrote the experience of witnessing the missiles as overhead as “scary times”.
“Thanks for all the lovely messages about my safety it really means a lot, it was scary times to be in the UAE and seeing missiles thrown above your head,” McDermott wrote. Furthermore, she commended the efforts of the UAE government in protecting the locals and said, “The UAE government are doing a great job of keeping everyone safe by shooting down the missiles. Everyone should stay inside and safe during this scary time.”
Influencers Deliver Heartbreaking Reports as Middle East Strikes Disrupt Travel
Many influencers and reality stars have kept on filming their disturbing scenes as the strikes are getting more serious. Most of them are asking their fans to stay home.
Hofit Golan, 40, an Israeli socialite, posted on her social media the first day of the attacks. She showed rockets and explosions from her hotel balcony, mentioning that the hotel was hit just hours after she arrived. In a new post this morning, Golan informed that her building’s alarm went ring at about 6:30 a.m., but she wasn’t sure where to go for safety. Besides that, she posted pictures of the floor covered with scattered debris, giving a warning: “Please stay indoors. Please stay safe everyone.”
Taylor Ward, who has been living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with her footballer husband Riyad Mahrez, revealed that her trip to Abu Dhabi was ended prematurely by the strikes. “Before it got cut short, we were having the most beautiful staycation in Abu Dhabi!” she shared.
Amber Turner, a TOWIE personality who has made Dubai her new home in 2023, shared with her fans that she was at the BRITs in the UK when the attacks happened. She also mentioned that her family is safe and she is “praying for the UAE.”
Explosions Reported Across Region as Iran Claims Strikes; Dubai Confirms Debris Injured Two
It was a second day of explosions reported in different parts of the Middle East, including Qatar, Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq, and also appearing in Oman for the first time, as air defence systems intercepted the majority of the missiles and drones that were launched.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that besides the launch of Tehran missiles toward Cyprus, which has British military bases, two missiles were fired by Iran.
Iran stated that it had hit 27 U.S. bases in the area, while the information equally spoke of the damage of other sites, such as residential tower blocks and luxury hotels.
Due to the ongoing blasts reported by tourists and residents in Dubai, flights to and from the airport were halted because of the safety concerns. The Dubai Media Office has confirmed that two people were injured when the debris of drones which had been intercepted and shot down by air defence systems fell onto two homes, and there was also a case of a fire being caused at the major Jebel Ali port.
The videos that went viral seemed to depict an interception close to the Burj Khalifa, and there was also a report of a fire at the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel.
Dubai Airport Evacuated After Damage Reported as Region Faces Second Night of Attacks
Videos posted by different sources during the night showed what seems to be debris of a smoke-filled terminal at Dubai International Airport. According to reports the airport was evacuated after four staff members were injured.
An X post read: “Dubai Airports confirms that a concourse at Dubai International (DXB) sustained minor damage in an incident, which was quickly contained.”
The Ministry of Defence of the UAE said that according to their latest intelligence, Iran has fired 137 ballistic missiles at the Emirates, the air defences have destroyed 132 of them, and five missiles have fallen into the Persian Gulf. The ministry also informed that the UAE was attacked by 209 suicide drones, out of which 195 were intercepted and 14 have got through, some of which have struck the territory.
Further, the Crowne Plaza hotel in Bahrain was on fire and its owners have reported an “incident” and that they told guests and staff to be safe. Bahrain state media reported that air defenses intercepted at least 45 missiles and nine drones overnight.
Oman’s Maritime Security Center has reported that the oil tanker was attacked off the coast of Musandam, and four people have been injured. Creating a situation for the 20-person crew to be evacuated.
Death of Iran Supreme Leader Confirmed as Conflict in Region Continues
After initially denying for several hours, Iran has eventually confirmed the death of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid continuing bombing across the Middle East.
In one version of the story, Khamenei (86) was killed when an airstrike hit his residence after the Israeli fighter jets dropped 30 bombs on the location. His death marks the end of a nearly 37-year period of his leadership of the Islamic Republic.
These reports further state that two high-ranking Iranian military officials – Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani and IRGC commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour – were also killed in the same airstrikes, along with four members of Khamenei’s family.
On the other hand, Israel claimed it launched another round of attacks against Iran, revealing new strikes that it believed impacted the “heart” of the capital as the confrontation kept on escalating.
Israel Says It Struck Targets “In the Heart of Tehran” as Trump Issues Warning to Iran
According to the military of Israel, it has started hitting targets located in the central area of Tehran, describing the missile strikes as a major escalation in its current operation.
The Israel Defense Forces issued a statement saying that: “Since the commencement of Operation ‘Roaring Lion’, this is the first time that the IDF is hitting targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in the very heart of Tehran.” The IDF also mentioned that during the past day, the Israeli Air Force has conducted “large-scale strikes” that were “intended to establish aerial superiority and therefore facilitate the ground operation in Tehran.”
At the same time, during the night, the U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran following the claims of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) about the number of American air bases that had been attacked in the region.
On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Iran just stated that they will hit very hard today, harder than ever before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
