A former Miss Missouri has found herself trapped in Dubai with her two children after her husband returned to the US for work as the United Arab Emirates attempts to intercept missiles from Iran.

Bayleigh Dayton, 32, moved to the Middle East with her husband, Chris Williams, and their two young children years ago, but their Arabian dream quickly turned into a nightmare when tensions escalated in the region and war broke out.

Israel and the US led strikes against Iran on Saturday after negotiations failed regarding Iranian nuclear capabilities. 

Iran retaliated by striking countries across the Middle East that house US military bases, including Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Jordan.

The increased military activity grounded all flights in the area over the weekend, leaving countless Americans scrambling for a way home. 

Dayton shared an update to her thousands of social media followers on Wednesday, joking that she did not have ‘fleeing a warzone on her 2026 bingo card.’ 

‘There’s no way out of the country right now. They sent out a message saying American citizens need to evacuate immediately, by any means necessary, but there’s literally no flights. The airspace is closed and the bordering countries are closing their borders as well,’ Dayton said in her video. 

Despite her nightmarish situation, Dayton added that she was grateful to be located in Dubai and said the UAE’s defense system was doing its best to strike down every Iranian missile. 

Bayleigh Dayton, pictured above with her husband and two children in an Instagram photo, is stuck in Dubai as tensions escalate in the Middle East 

Dayton said in a social media video that she was scared to be alone in a warzone with her two children, but was grateful that she remained safe as the UAE attempts to intercept Iranian missiles. She’s pictured above with her children in a photo shared to socail media 

Iran retaliated against several Middle Eastern countries that house US military bases. Pictured above is a grab from a social media video showing smoke and flames engulfing a historic landmark in Dubai after a missile struck 

‘I’m scared. I’m alone. I have two children here. My husband is actually in the states so he can’t get to us and we can’t get to him,’ she said. 

Dayton clarified the ‘privilege’ her family has to pay for a flight out of the UAE and shelter in a ‘villa.’

She told local Fox affiliate, WDAF-TV, that her family could hear the UAE disarming hundreds of missiles outside their door over the last few days. 

Dayton’s hoping to get the first flight out for herself and her children, but has been forced to shelter in place as military activity continues in the airspace over the Middle East.  

‘They’re slowly trying to open air space, but none of those planes are going to USA,’ she told WDAF. 

Dayton said she is trying to book a flight to Europe or Asia and fly back to the US from there. 

‘It does put everything into perspective. Money material things, all these things we’re chasing every day. All that matters is your physical safety and the health of your family,’ she said. 

Dayton previously worked as a flight attendant before her stint on the reality show Big Brother, so she has experience handling crises. 

‘I feel like I’ve trained to be able to handle this but, but nobody wants to deal with facing a war. I did not plan to be in a war zone, at all,’ she told WDAF. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Bayleigh Dayton for comment. 

Dayton has lived in Dubai with her husband and children for several years. She is from Missouri and was a contestant on the reality series Big Brother. Pictured above is a still from the show 

Dayton said her husband, pictured above, left Dubai for work before the military action ensued in the region 

The UAE has been intercepting Iranian missiles. Dayton told local news that she has heard the interceptions over the last few days. Pictured above is an Iranian missile in the sky over Dubai 

Multiple Middle Eastern countries suspended flight operations after the initial strikes on Saturday.

The travel disruption created a headache for passengers worldwide, as Dubai is a major hub for international flights. Dubai International (DXB) is the world’s largest airport for international travel. 

A spokesperson for the airport issued a statement on Saturday advising passengers not to travel to the airport and contact their airlines directly for flight updates.

The US State Department is now attempting to evacuate thousands of Americans stranded in the Middle East. 

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the Economy and Tourism Minister for the UAE, said they opened their airspace for emergency flights on Sunday, CNN reported. 

The minister said over 17,000 passengers were flown out of the country in the first phase of the plan, and they expect to transport over 27,000 travelers in the next phase. 

Flights to and from airports in the Middle East were cancelled due to ongoing military strikes in the region. Pictured above is flight information at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Saturday 

Airspace over the Middle East closed on Saturday due to ongoing military strikes. Operations have resumed on a limited basis. Pictured above are passengers arriving at Dubai International Terminal on Thursday 

Additional relief came for some Americans on Wednesday evening when the State Department announced a charter flight was scheduled to pick up US citizens in the Middle East. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a press conference that US officials will identify stranded American citizens and provide travel options.   

As of Thursday morning, Safe Airspace has identified the UAE as a level three risk. Level three is the least dangerous but still poses a risk to travelers. 

According to Safe Airspace, the UAE has partially reopened but remains under strict routing corridors. 

As the world waits with bated breath for tensions to subside, the conflict in the Middle East has ramped up. 

Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli called for the ‘shedding of Zionist blood, the shedding of Trump’s blood’ in a rare message on Iranian state television. 

The conflict has so far killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries.