The news
The US, UK, Australia, Sweden, France, Italy, Canada, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have warnings issued to civilians to leave Lebanon; the UK has also deployed experts and military personnel to assist with a possible evacuation if a war breaks out there between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.
Several airlines have already cancelled flights to and from Beirut, Lebanon’s only commercial airport, complicating exit strategies.
While many experts agree that there is a war would not be to anyone’s advantage, tensions in the region reached a new high after Israel attacked Beirut last week, killing a top Hezbollah leader. Hezbollah was accused of carrying out an earlier deadly attack on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.
Hamas’ top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was also killed in an airstrike in Tehran. Israel did not claim responsibility for the airstrike.
Iran has vowed “severe” retaliation against Israel after the attack in Tehran, and Western officials believe it could use Hezbollah – one of Iran’s many military proxies in the region – in a counterattack.