The UK has dispatched two naval warships and several Royal Air Force helicopters to the Middle East amid escalating tensions in the region. Advisories from Britain, the US, and other countries are urging their citizens in Lebanon to leave the country immediately.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned that the situation could “deteriorate rapidly”. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the air-defence destroyer HMS Duncan and the landing dock ship RFA Cardigan Bay are already in the area.
Military staff are also being deployed to provide operational support to embassies to assist British nationals. This heightened alert comes as Hezbollah announced it fired “dozens” of rockets from Lebanon on Sunday.
Israel and its allies had been anticipating a potential revenge strike from Iran following a series of targeted assassinations carried out by Israeli forces.
Among the high-profile targets recently killed were two senior Hamas leaders and a Hezbollah commander. In retaliation, Hezbollah fired approximately 30 rockets toward Galilee, which Israel successfully intercepted.
The American embassy in Lebanon has advised US citizens to “book any ticket available to them” out of the country.
“We recommend that US citizens who choose not to depart Lebanon prepare contingency plans for emergency situations and be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period of time”, a statement from the embassy read.
Countries such as Turkey and Japan have also urged their citizens to evacuate, joining similar advisories from Australia and the UK. G7 nations have called for restraint, expressing concerns that the recent events could ignite a broader conflict in the region.
The UK, US, and France have all placed a high priority on the safety of their citizens, with the US even deploying additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East. British Royal Marines are on standby to evacuate UK nationals stranded in Lebanon if necessary.
Professor Anthony Glees, an intelligence expert from the University of Buckingham, warned of the serious threat posed by Hezbollah, Iran’s largest proxy group.
Glees told the the Sun that “the peace of the world hangs by a thread” on Saturday.