The government is calling on British nationals to “leave” Lebanon “now” as there is fears of a full-scale war between Israel and Iran.
The British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has warned that the situation “could deteriorate rapidly.”
Lammy said in a statement, “Tensions are high, and the situation could deteriorate rapidly.
“While we are working round the clock to strengthen our consular presence in Lebanon, my message to British nationals there is clear – leave now.”
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There is an estimated 16,000 British nationals who are in Lebanon and the Foreign Secretary urged them to leave now whilst “commercial flights are still running.”
Last week Lammy said that if the conflict escalates the government “cannot guarantee we’ll be able to evacuate everyone immediately.”
Lammy said on Tuesday he is “working with Foreign Office consular teams to make sure we are prepared for all scenarios.”
He added, “People may be forced to shelter in place and history teaches us that in a crisis like this one, it is far safer to leave while commercial flights are still running rather than running the risk of becoming trapped in a warzone.
“My message, then, to British nationals in Lebanon is therefore quite simple: leave.”
If British nationals do not leave now they are running a very real risk of being stranded in Lebanon as airlines have increasingly started to suspend flights in and out of Beirut International Airport.
The US embassy has also instructed their citizens to leave and stressed in a statement, “Commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon remain available.
“Prepare contingency plans for emergency situations and be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period of time.”
Sweden is closing down their embassy in Beirut and have called on all Swedes to leave Lebanon, said the Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström on Saturday.
He told broadcaster SR, “The foreign ministry has instructed its staff to leave Beirut and travel to Cyprus, and the foreign ministry is planning a temporary relocation of its embassy.”
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