'We cross our fingers' - Iranians in UAE worry about families as Iran war escalates

Record ID: 2362138

  • Title: 'We cross our fingers' - Iranians in UAE worry about families as Iran war escalates
  • Date: 6th March 2026
  • Summary: DUBAI, UAE (MARCH 4, 2026) (REUTERS)   (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRANIAN SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER WHO LIVES IN DUBAI, SABA BANAEI, SAYING: "My mum called me today (March 4) morning with a direct phone because there is no internet currently in Iran - but they can call. I cannot call them, but they can call me. So yeah, my mum just called me today morning. And yeah, I said I am s
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Dubai Iran U.S. UAE
  • Location: DUBAI, UAE
  • City: DUBAI, UAE
  • Country: UAE
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA003074904032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Iranians living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed worries about relatives back home with whom they said communication was patchy or cut off after the launch of US-Israel war on Iran.
    In Dubai, home to one of the largest Iranian expatriate communities in the Gulf, some said they struggled to contact family members with the internet dropping across Iran amid the latest unrest.
    Iranian spice shop owner Morteza Asaadi has been living in the UAE since 1977, where he first came as student.
    “My in-laws are there... For now they're okay... (we hope) everything will be all right,” Asaadi said from his shop in Dubai’s old commercial district.
    "I think Saturday was the last time that we, that they communicated. And after that, the internet and the phone was disconnected, you know. No more connection there," he added.
    Dubai’s historic souks and trading districts have long been tied to Iran through commerce and migration, and Iranian-owned shops selling goods such as saffron and spices were a common sight.
    But behind the storefronts, conversations echoed amplified fears about events unfolding inside Iran.
    Iranian social media influencer Saba Banaei, who has been living in Dubai for two years, said she also struggled to stay in contact with her family.
    “My mum called me today morning with a direct phone because there is no internet currently in Iran,” she said on Wednesday (March 4). “I cannot call them, but they can call me.”
    Banaei said she came to the UAE after graduating from Tehran University in search of better opportunities. She leads a lifestyle Instagram account called “growth in Dubai”, where she posts content to her more than 13,000 followers.
    Reuters verified the date and location of a social media post shared by Banaei by original file metadata. Buildings and windows matched satellite and file imagery. 
    Hearing that her family was safe brought relief, she said, though the uncertainty remained stressful.
    “I'm not gonna lie that sometimes I feel the stress,” Banaei added.
    With limited information and few reliable ways to reach loved ones, many said all they can do is wait.
    As Asaadi put it: “We cross our fingers.”
    (Production: Abdlehadi Ramahi, Bushra Shakhshir, Melory Ghazi, Abir Al Ahmar)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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