Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed by US and Israeli strikes over the weekend.
Iran’s response has been to issue attacks on American military bases in other Middle Eastern parts.
Dubai, Qatar and Bahrain have been targeted, with the strikes leading to cancelled flights into the area at the current moment.
Speaking to Extra.ie on Sunday, Meath woman Aoife recalled how she received a phone call from her friend shortly after 1pm [on Sunday] about an attack.
"A few minutes after that, I could hear the interceptors, and then the explosion came," Aoife shared, leading her to return indoors for safety.
At 6.30pm, Aoife had friends over and they were cooking dinner when the interceptors could be heard going "directly over my apartment."
From here, five explosions were heard with Aoife detailing that there were three explosions every two hours before quietening down overnight.
"There was maybe one or two from 3am to 5am," she said. "At 8.30am this morning, there were about ten in a row, really loud explosions."
Missiles were seen in the sky over Dubai on Saturday as Iranian forces launched retaliatory strikes following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Video shows smoke and projectiles in the sky near Dubai Marina. pic.twitter.com/WyvtiNMf0n
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 28, 2026
Dubai Airport and The Palm Hotel are among the hits, with Aoife alleging that the hotel was hit as US officials were there and the airport holds US fighter jets.
"They’re only targeting US bases," she stated.
Sharing her reaction to the explosions, Aoife admitted she is not "coping well" with the noise, but thinks of the people in Palestine, Syria and Ukraine "living with this every day."
She said:"‘What we’re hearing is actually the interceptors of the missiles being taken out. They’re actually hearing the missiles making contact.
"What we’re hearing is the thing that’s keeping us safe. It is scary."
Aoife was unhappy with how the Irish Embassy have so far handled the tensions, as she noted she had had no contact with them to date.
She also noted that the media were "making it out to be a lot worse" which is leading to further upset and anxieties.
"Yes, it is scary," she confirmed, "Yes, it’s not a nice feeling. Yes, I’m panicking, but it’s not the way it’s been made out at home at all, and it’s not fair to those that are living here and living through it."
The current advice from the Irish Government is for Irish people based in the Middle East to register themselves and their families via the Citizens’ Registration.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee, also advised to only "rely on advice from reputable sources."
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee.
She said: "For our citizens in the region, our advice is to shelter in place, avoid unnecessary movement, and follow the directions of the local authorities. Irish citizens should also actively monitor advice issued on social media by the local Irish Embassy.
"I can assure all Irish citizens that we are actively monitoring the developing situation and that we keep all our travel advisories under the closest review at times like these."
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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