Caitlyn Jenner and Scott Jennings appeared in good spirits as they shared snaps from inside an Israeli bomb shelter and hotel, seeking refuge while bombs rained down in Tel Aviv.
A group of Americans visiting Israel – including the former Olympian and conservative commentator – were prevented from leaving the country on Friday, as the military strike against Iran and the ensuing retaliatory effort locked down the nation’s airports.
Jennings, 47, was on his first ever trip to the region, visiting major cities such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, as well as kibbutz Nir Oz – the site of the Nova music festival massacre on October 7, 2023, according to Hollywood Reporter.
But on Friday, Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel in revenge for strikes on its nuclear sites, prompting a state of emergency and the forced closure of airports amid the escalation.
The next day, as Jennings prepped for a remote CNN interview from his hotel, he received the first emergency alert on his phone.
‘I stood out on the balcony in my hotel and watched,’ he told the Hollywood Reporter. ‘In fact, I’m looking at a military jet fly overhead right now.’
‘Airspace is closed, airports are closed,’ he added. ‘The thing we know the least about is how are we going to get out of here.’
The Israeli military subsequently warned citizens to take cover in bomb shelters on Friday evening, noting that ‘dozens’ of Iranian ballistic missiles were en route to Israel.
Hours later, Jennings posted a video to X, capturing the view outside his window: missiles streaking through an orange-hued sky as air raid sirens blared in the background.
During the video, Jennings counted three missiles that appeared to be intercepted in midair.
‘Air raid sirens in Tiberias, Israel just after 5am,’ he captioned the post. ‘Missiles visible in the sky. Incoming from Iran.’
Jenner, 75, traveled to Tel Aviv last week to headline Friday’s Pride parade, and posted photos of herself in some of the region’s most iconic spots – including Jerusalem’s Western Wall – just before the unrest began.
In her posts, she expressed support for the country.
‘I am excited to share that I will be in Israel this week,’ she wrote ‘I’m visiting the resilient people of Israel as the nation continues to recover and restore its place in the Middle East. Stay tuned!’
‘My heart is here, with the beautiful people, in Israel,’ she wrote on another post.
But the night before the parade, Israel carried out its military strike against Iran, prompting organizers to cancel the parade out of safety concerns.
Similar to Jennings, the former reality TV star ended up stranded in the country as the airports shut down, Daily Mail exclusively revealed.
As ballistic missiles soared through the sky during the counterstrike, Jenner assured loved ones that she is taking every precaution to be safe, including seeking shelter.
‘Please pray,’ the 75-year-old texted one family member from a secure area. ‘I’m holding up okay.’
When asked if the bombs were loud, Jenner merely responded, ‘Yes.’
The family member told the Daily Mail that Jenner had phone service throughout the first wave of the attack and handed situation calmly.
On Friday afternoon, Regev Gur – an Israeli influencer – shared a photo to X alongside the former gold medalist as they took shelter together.
‘What were you doing with the alarms?’ he captioned the post. ‘Because I’m drinking wine with Caitlyn.’
In the photo, the pair appear relaxed as they sit against a row of lockers – Gur flashing a wide, toothy smile while Jenner raises a glass of red wine toward the camera.
‘She told us not to worry,’ a family member told Daily Mail. ‘She says she’ll be fine and that Israel will protect her.’
Jenner has been in contact with the American Embassy in Tel Aviv, who advised her to shelter in a windowless area near her hotel.
As the bombs began to drop, she posted an image of the missile defense system lighting up the skies on social media.
”Quiet’ night in Tel Aviv. Pray for us all. We will prevail,’ the post read. ‘I am happy to stand with Israel today, now more than ever.’
For now, her family is watching the news and is constant contact with Jenner, who is in ‘good spirits’ and ‘doesn’t seem overly worried at the moment – just trusting that everything is going to be okay’.
After news broke that several Americans were ‘trapped’ inside Israel, social media was quickly flooded with opinions – many questioning their decision to travel to the region in the first place.
‘God works in strange ways!’ a user on X wrote. ‘Who had it on their Bingo card that two of the most evil inhumane cruel inhabitants of earth are stuck in Israel! Don’t come back. You deserve one another!’
Shortly after, Jenner responded to the post, writing: ‘Ahhh @ScottJenningsKY we have a fan in common!! LOL’.
The lockdown comes after Israel launched a blistering surprise attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing several top generals – including nine senior scientists and experts involved in the program, Associated Press reported.
Thursday’s attack also claimed the lives of 78 people and left more than 320 wounded, according to an Iranian official.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei vowed to ‘inflict heavy blows’ in a threat to civilians in Tel Aviv as he blamed Israel for starting the war, while Benjamin Netanyahu warned ‘more is on the way’.
Dramatic footage shows Israel’s Iron Dome intercepting the salvo of missiles above the city’s skyline, but some could not be stopped – including one that blasted into the side of a building with people reportedly trapped inside.
Israel’s emergency services say at least 34 people in Gush Dan, or the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, were injured in the strikes – including one woman in critical condition and one seriously injured man. At least three were killed.
Netanyahu promised that more attacks are ‘on the way’, adding that ‘the regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them. It has never been weaker’.
As missiles rained down on Tel Aviv for hours, he called on Iranians to ‘rise up’ and overthrow Tehran’s ‘evil and oppressive regime’ as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate.
A second wave of Iranian missiles also targeted Jerusalem early on Saturday morning, according to Israel’s military – with witnesses reporting explosions over the ancient city.
Defense Minister Israel Katz chillingly warned that ‘Tehran will burn’ if more missiles are fired at Israel.
Katz said: ‘The Iranian dictator is turning the citizens of Iran into hostages and bringing about a reality in which they – especially the residents of Tehran – will pay a heavy price because of the criminal harm to Israeli civilians.
‘If (Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles toward the Israeli home front – Tehran will burn.’
Israel’s attack on Iran was the culmination of years of research and planning by Israel’s military and Mossad intelligence agency to prevent the region from obtaining nuclear weapons.