**War Rattles Region as Ramadan Comes to an End** The holy month of Ramadan, typically a time of celebration and communal prayer for Muslims, has been disrupted across the Middle East as ongoing strikes reshape the region. The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting retaliatory attacks that have left residents reeling. In Dubai, Sara Elsherbiny was preparing to celebrate her birthday by breaking her Ramadan fast with friends at a restaurant when explosions echoed nearby, rattling her home and shaking the city. "It was loud, actually the house shook, and that was the first time that we've experienced something like that," Elsherbiny told *NBC News*. Ali and his wife, also in Dubai, were breaking their fast on the same day – the 11th day of Ramadan. They recalled watching missiles streak across the sky. "We broke our fast normally but the Ramadan vibes were no longer there," Ali said. "We were worried about further escalations." For many residents, the war has collided with deeply personal moments. A Dubai-based media professional, who wished to remain anonymous, said she went into labor on February 28 as explosions sounded across the city. "We didn't know what to do, shall we go to the hospital or call an ambulance?" she said. She and her husband ultimately drove to a nearby hospital, where doctors assured her she was safe. However, as she was being prepared for an epidural, phones in the room blared a warning alert urging people to stay indoors and away from windows due to a missile threat. "My body was shaking," she said. Others have come face to face with the terror of war. Samah, an entrepreneur who runs an entertainment business out of a Dubai warehouse, said an explosion hit about 1.2 miles away while she was at work. "I never imagined that one day I would hear these kinds of sounds and feel that my life, my family, my cats and the country I have called home since I was young could be threatened," Samah said. "It really feels like a nightmare." Samah later learned that debris from the explosion hit a car, killing its driver. "I kept thinking that I was only a short distance away from death," she said. As Ramadan comes to an end and Eid al-Fitr starts, residents are bracing for further escalations. The region's residents have described their most surreal and frightening moments of the past month, with air raid alerts, displacement, and the threat of aerial attacks disrupting the rhythms of daily life during the holy month.