On Feb. 27, I boarded a plane from Salt Lake City to Dallas. From Dallas, I boarded a plane to Doha, Qatar.

The plan was to travel from Doha to Zambia to participate in a six-week global health program. I was going to rotate on the neurology ward at a hospital in Zambia to learn how neurology is practiced in settings outside the United States. Five hours into the journey, the pilot came on the intercom to make an announcement. He apologized, saying he was turning the plane around and heading back to Dallas. He had no additional information. I turned on my phone and saw news reports that the U.S. and Israel had attacked Iran. Iran had retaliated by sending missiles and drones to various places, including the destination of our plane.

I tried to find an alternative route to Zambia, but, unfortunately, due to airspace closures and flight cancellations, safe flight routes had skyrocketed in price. Ultimately, I was forced to cancel my trip as the possibility of additional countries being drawn into the war had increased, and it is unlikely that the conflict will de-escalate any time soon. This trip was meant to be a step in determining the direction of my career as a neurologist, so the decision to cancel was disheartening. As disappointing as it was, I cannot help but wonder what life would be like for me had the plane landed in Doha that night.

It is estimated that there were more than a million Americans in the Middle East before the war started. They were left scrambling to find their own way home when the State Department told Americans to evacuate from 14 countries in the region. Around 25% of Americans stranded in the UAE were from Utah. They were asked to shelter in place as Iran attacked not only U.S. military bases, but also busy tourist areas, including airports and hotels.

Did no one predict that Iran would retaliate? The retaliatory strikes seemed to come as a surprise to the American government, as no warnings were provided to the people traveling to the Middle East or to those who were already there. It took the State Department almost a week to start assisting Americans trying to flee the Middle East. Given this delay in assistance, it seems that when the decision was made to attack Iran, the safety of Americans currently in the region was not a priority.

Not only was the safety of American citizens compromised overseas, it appears that little attention was paid to what the consequences would be at home. The Pentagon told officials in Washington that the cost of the war in the first six days was over $11 billion. The price of gas has spiked 16% in Utah since the war started. This also spilled over to the trucking industry. If oil prices remain high, it costs more to deliver goods, which could lead to an increase in consumer prices.

Prior to the war, a poll showed that 85% of Utahns were either somewhat or very worried about the economy as the cost of goods continued to rise earlier this year. Along with paying more at the gas pump, Utahns can also expect to pay more for travel as airlines contend with higher fuel prices.

Some local business owners had just breathed a sigh of relief after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s tariffs. After dealing with years of inflation and a year of volatility due to tariffs, an ill-conceived war is likely to add to further uncertainty regarding the economic prosperity of all Americans.

The public’s trust in our government to make the right decisions is at an all-time low. Starting a war without clear contingency plans for evacuations or the cost to Americans further adds to the erosion of trust in our institutions. Considering the various ways in which a military operation will affect Americans abroad and at home should not be an afterthought.

Over the years, when an American is stranded overseas, our government has come to their aid. This time, they failed to live up to that expectation. Had Iran decided to strike Doha a day later, I may have joined the thousands of Americans stranded in airports and hotels, awaiting assistance from the government.

It is simply a matter of luck that I am safe in my home in Salt Lake City, and though I cannot entirely escape the fallout from this war, at least here my sky is blue and free of missiles, drones, and plumes of smoke.

Harneet Dhillon graduated with her MD from the University of Utah School of Medicine and is currently completing her neurology residency at Stanford.

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