More than a thousand British troops are on standby in the event that British citizens need to be evacuated from Lebanon.
Preparations are being made in response to a warning from the British Foreign Office that the situation in the Middle East could deteriorate rapidly.
On Saturday, the Foreign Office reiterated its call for British nationals to leave Lebanon, while confirming that preparations were underway to assist with an evacuation of the country if necessary.
An estimated There are currently 16,000 Britons in LebanonMinister of Foreign Affairs David Lammy told the House of Commons last week.
Hundreds of troops have been sent to Cyprus, where the UK already has a military presence.
Meanwhile, hundreds of extra troops have been deployed across the UK, meaning they are ready to be sent to the region if needed.
The UK already has a significant military presence in Cyprus.
An RAF base at Akrotiri is likely to act as a hub for all air movements. RAF Typhoon fighter jets are already stationed there.
These fighter jets were deployed to defend against an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel in April.
The Foreign Office statement issued over the weekend said military personnel were providing operational support to British embassies in the region. It did not specify the number of troops involved.
A Royal Navy destroyer – HMS Duncan – and a landing craft – RFA Cardigan Bay – are already in the eastern Mediterranean.
RAF helicopters are also on standby.
Tensions in the Middle East have been rising since Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7.
The attack killed approximately 1,200 people and prompted a large-scale Israeli military response in Gaza.
At least 39,480 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.
Hostilities between Israel and its neighbors have escalated after the death of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last Wednesday – an attack Iran blames on Israel.
Haniyeh’s killing came hours after Israel killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
In response, Iran has announced “serious” retaliatory measures against Israel.
Western officials fear that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia and political movement based in Lebanon, could play a major role in such retaliation, which in turn could provoke a serious Israeli response.
The US, UK, Australia, France, Canada, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey and Jordan are among the countries that have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.
Last year, the British government helped coordinate the evacuation of British nationals from Gaza. There were thought to be around 200 British citizens living in the area before the war broke out.
In 2021, more than 15,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan to the UK after the country fell to the Taliban.
