Liverpool hero Graeme Souness has found himself stranded at Abu Dhabi Airport as Iranian strikes continue to target multiple Gulf states.
The 72-year-old football legend documented his ordeal through a series of Instagram videos, describing the sounds of anti-missile defence systems intercepting incoming projectiles overhead.
Since Saturday morning, chaos has engulfed the region with the UAE cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi coming under attack alongside Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.
Souness, who had visited the UAE just three weeks earlier in his role as a Liverpool ambassador, was attempting to return to Britain when he became caught up in the escalating conflict between Iran and the United States, which had launched a joint strike with Israel.
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In his first video from the airport terminal, Souness showed viewers his grounded aircraft while recalling advice from his mother.
"My mum said to me - bear with me - when I was a little boy, 'wherever you are, there's never a dull moment,'" he shared.
The former Scotland captain had been looking forward to watching the Rangers-Celtic derby, which he described as the biggest match of the season for him.
Liverpool hero Graeme Souness has found himself stranded at Abu Dhabi Airport as Iranian strikes continue to target multiple Gulf states
|INSTAGRAM/GETTY
"We're hearing some pretty loud bangs going off, and that is anti-missiles taking out missiles that are being fired at some American base," Souness explained to his followers.
His flight was subsequently cancelled as explosions continued to be heard throughout the terminal.
The strikes have not been limited to military installations, with civilian locations also sustaining damage across the region.
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Graeme Souness spoke to his followers on social media
|In Dubai, the luxury Palm Jumeirah Fairmont Hotel was struck by a high-speed Shahed drone, setting the front exterior of the five-star property ablaze.
The Dubai media office reported four people sustained injuries in that attack, with eyewitnesses describing ambulances racing to the scene.
Kuwait International Airport was also among the targets, while residential properties in Bahrain suffered hits during the bombardment.
Thousands of British expats and tourists have been caught up in the deadly escalation, which followed a joint daylight operation conducted by the United States and Israel against Iran in the early hours of Saturday.
In a subsequent video, Souness acknowledged that despite the frustration of being stranded, his situation paled in comparison to those directly affected by the violence.
Iran have retaliated with strikes on Abu Dhabi and Qatar following the US' decision to bomb them
| TRUTH SOCIAL"You get grumpy - well I do - when you get delayed and stuff at airports but I think we should think of people that maybe at this point might die," he reflected.
The former midfielder revealed he intended to find hotel accommodation for a couple of nights while waiting for the situation to calm.
BeIN Sport presenter Richard Keys was also affected by the crisis, being taken off air before Saturday's Premier League coverage.
The ex-Sky Sports host, based in the Gulf since 2013, posted: "It was a bit lively earlier. No show today."