When Chantal Ward left Barbados to build a career in finance and strategy, she never imagined she would one day be listening to explosions from her apartment in the Middle East.
The 33-year-old St John native, who now lives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital, Abu Dhabi, was enjoying a routine Saturday evening when an area near where she resides came under intense shelling amid an escalating conflict involving Iran and an alliance between the United States and Israel.
“I didn’t even know it was an explosion at first, because over here, they celebrate everything. So I thought it was fireworks,” Ward said.
As the blasts continued and alerts began appearing on her phone, the reality set in.
“When I first heard the boom, I was like ‘I ain’t come out here for this. What are we going to do?’” she said. The accountant declined to disclose how close she was to the bombardment.
The strikes follow an air war launched by US President Donald Trump, in collaboration with Israel, that has already killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering a wave of retaliatory missile and drone attacks across several Arab states in the Persian Gulf, including the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Waves of attacks on US military bases and Israel have been intercepted, but six US Army Reserve service members were killed in a drone strike on a command centre at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, during the opening days of the conflict.
In a late development on Wednesday, the government issued a formal statement expressing deep concern about the deteriorating conflict in the Middle East and condemning Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Gulf states.
On Tuesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Christopher Sinckler said the government’s priority was the safety of staff at Embassy Abu Dhabi, as well as citizens living in or visiting the UAE.
“How long it goes will determine whether we enter into negotiations, once the airspace is open, for those who want to be repatriated back to Barbados,” Sinckler said.
Former Ambassador to the UAE, Gabriel Abed, who still lives in Abu Dhabi, sought to reassure fellow Barbadians.
“We are safe over here,” he told Barbados TODAY. “The UAE government is competent, and we trust them to keep everyone safe.
Barbados TODAY also reached out to the current ambassador, Dr Annalee Babb, for comment.
For Ward, the immediate fear has subsided, but uncertainty lingers. She said the atmosphere has largely returned to normal, though restricted movement and work-from-home arrangements echo the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic — a period that once prompted her to leave the UAE and return home.
Supermarkets and convenience stores remain open, she noted, but residents are instructed to shelter in place if bomb alerts sound. Major airlines have suspended some flights, and regional air traffic is limited.
“Based on everything that I’m hearing from authorities, I think it’s okay, but there’s just fear in the unknown so that leaves me in a limbo. Because you wouldn’t want to go into the air and then the unknown occurs,” Ward said. “Right here, right now, is very calm, but the unknown is what has everyone on their toes. Right now we’re pretty safe, but we don’t know what to expect.”
Amid the tension, she has been encouraged by outreach from Barbados’ diplomatic officials, who have been contacting members of the Barbadian community in the UAE to provide updates and check on their well-being. She also revealed that her MP, Charles Griffith, reached out to ensure she was safe, while relatives back home have been in daily contact.
The government issued a statement late on Wednesday, which said: “The Government of Barbados continues to observe with great concern the deteriorating situation in the Middle East. Barbados is especially concerned by the retaliatory attacks which the Islamic Republic of Iran is visiting on the States of the Gulf region.
“These attacks are not only unprovoked but also unjustified. They constitute a grave escalation of tensions and represent a clear violation of the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference that underpin international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”
It continued: “The continued use of force in this manner threatens civilian lives, destabilises the wider Middle East, and undermines global peace and security. We urge the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to fulfil its obligations under international law and to immediately desist from any more unprovoked military action against these States. We further call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint.”
The statement added that Barbados stands firmly with the international community “in advocating for de-escalation, respect for international law, and the urgent restoration of stability in the Gulf region”. (Kareem Smith)
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