BEIRUT: The UK government has kept more than 1,000 British troops on high alert and ready to evacuate nearly 16,000 Britons currently in Lebanon amid growing fears of an all-out war, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
In response to the UK Foreign Office’s warning that the Middle East situation could deteriorate rapidly, preparations are being made in case British citizens need to be evacuated from Beirut.
The Foreign Office renewed its call for Britons to leave Lebanon on Saturday, while confirming that preparations were underway to help with any necessary evacuation as hundreds of troops had been sent to Cyprus. The UK already has a significant military presence there.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the House of Commons last week that there were about 16,000 British nationals in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, hundreds of troops have been put on alert in the UK and are ready for deployment to the region if necessary.
According to Saturday’s Foreign Office statement, military personnel were in the process of being deployed to provide operational support to UK embassies in the region, although the number of troops involved was not mentioned.
Meanwhile, Sky News reported on Wednesday that hundreds of soldiers, Royal Marine commandos, sailors and aviators had already been moved forward to bolster a key Royal Air Force base in Cyprus, which would act as a hub in any evacuation mission.
RAF Typhoon fighter jets already stationed there were involved last April in a mission against an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel.
A Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Duncan, and a landing ship, RFA Cardigan Bay, are already in the Eastern Mediterranean. RAF helicopters have also been placed on standby.
Tensions have been growing across the Middle East since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Hostilities between Israel and its neighbors have escalated following the death of Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, in an attack for which Iran blamed Israel.
Haniyeh’s assassination came hours after Israel killed Iran-backed Hezbollah’s senior commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Iran and Hezbollah have vowed “severe” retaliation against Israel.
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