A Kiwi has described his narrow escape from Dubai hours before an Iranian strike hit the hotel where he had been staying.
Tim Connell, an Auckland dairy industry chief executive who spent part of his youth in Rotorua, had been in the United Arab Emirates’ largest city for business.
He had been staying at Fairmont The Palm Hotel but left hours before a strike set the five-star accommodation alight on Saturday (NZT).
Most international media stories have reported the hotel was hit by an Iranian missile, with video showing the moment of impact, followed by an explosion and fire.
The BBC reported Dubai authorities said four people were injured after “an incident occurred in a building in the Palm Jumeirah area”.
WATCH: Video shows "Palm Hotel & Resort" in Dubai being hit pic.twitter.com/SI9qCVuK1O
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Iran launched strikes across the Middle East in retaliation for an ongoing attack against the country by the United States and Israel.
US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could last four to five weeks but had “the capability to go far longer than that”.
Connell learned of Dubai being hit while aboard a 16-hour Emirates flight to Miami.
He said there was nothing to indicate anything would happen when he boarded about 2am, before the US and Israel launched their joint attack targeting Iranian military assets.
He said the passengers learned of the attack from an overhead notice that said: “Dubai has been hit by a rocket from Iran”.
Everyone aboard the flight flicked their screens to the BBC live stream.
Connell said the passengers on his flight were in shock.
“Nobody saw this coming.”
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his daughter, son-in-law and grandchild were among those killed in the strikes.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent, the US and Israeli attacks had killed 787 people in Iran.
Airspace across the Middle East had since been closed or restricted.
Emirates was operating a limited number of flights from Dubai.
“There’s no way I would have got out,” Connell said.
All Emirates and Qatar Airways services leaving Auckland Airport had been put on hold until further notice.
He was looking forward to reuniting with his family when he returned home to Auckland at the end of this week.
Connell had a few friends in Dubai who were concerned about the future, he said.
He understood people were stuck in their apartments and too afraid to go outside.
According to figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 28 New Zealanders were registered in Iran, and 78 in Israel.
As of Wednesday, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates were all listed as Level 4 (Extreme risk to safety, security, or life) on SafeTravel’s travel alert list.
SafeTravel travel advisories for Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Occupied Palestinian territories were all listed as Level 4 – Extreme risk to safety, security, or life.
Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia were at Level 3 – Avoid non-essential travel.
MFAT’s advice to New Zealanders travelling to the United States (Level 2) was to “still exercise caution and expect travel delays”.
The Middle East conflict posed several geopolitical risks for the global economy.
New Zealanders would feel the effects through petrol prices, interest rates and KiwiSaver balances.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz – through which a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption passes – led to oil prices rising as much as 13% on Monday.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters released a joint statement on Sunday condemning Iran’s indiscriminate retaliatory attacks.
The statement said: “We call for a resumption of negotiations and adherence to international law - and we urge the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution that returns Iran to the community of nations.”
Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.
Editor’s note: The author is Connell’s niece.