The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on Saturday said Britons should use any commercial options still working, acknowledging potential exit routes were already limited or closed. It added that the Border Force, consular officials and military personnel had been deployed to support embassy staff there.
Foreign secretary David Lammy warned that “tensions are high and the situation could deteriorate rapidly”.
The US embassy in Beirut urged its nationals to “book any ticket available” out of Lebanon, noting that several flights had already been cancelled and that military evacuations were rare.
The Pentagon had already announced that the US would move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region in preparation for any escalation. Jordan also issued an emergency directive telling its citizens to leave “as soon as possible’“.
The Canadian government followed with a statement saying “now is the time to leave”. France on Sunday invited its citizens to leave Lebanon and advised against travelling to the country due to the risk of military escalation.
Earlier last week, Italy and Germany urged its citizens to depart the Lebanese territory.
There are concerns about a full-blown regional war after Iran vowed vengeance following the assassinations of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday and Fuad Shukr, a senior commander in the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in Beirut on Tuesday.
This story is from the August 05, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the August 05, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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