In the midst of rapidly rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, dozens of US troops have been sent to Cyprus. According to four US officials, these forces are getting ready for a variety of eventualities, such as the potential evacuation of US people from Lebanon in the event that a full-scale conflict breaks out.
This Thursday, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the press secretary for the Pentagon, announced that "a small number of US military personnel forward" will be sent to the area "out of an abundance of caution." However, he refused to reveal the number of soldiers on duty, their location, or whose branch they were assigned to.
During Israel's war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006, Cyprus was crucial in assisting with the evacuation of foreign nationals from the country. Tens of thousands of individuals were accommodated during this period of time as they left the fighting.
Yiannis Antoniou, the deputy government spokesperson for Cyprus, informed Reuters last month that the island nation is once more prepared to assist if necessary.
On Tuesday, the United Kingdom declared that it was dispatching seven hundred troops to Cyprus in anticipation of the potential need for an emergency evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated, "I just want to reiterate that the most essential message I want to convey this evening is for British nationals in Lebanon to evacuate right away." Additionally, the US State Department has consistently advised US nationals to depart Lebanon while there are still commercial flight choices available.
Over the past week, Israel has carried out covert operations that resulted in the detonation of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies, setting off a chain reaction of events that has escalated tensions between the two groups. Following suit, Israel launched airstrikes on southern Lebanon and Beirut that have killed hundreds of civilians as well as Hezbollah combatants in recent days.
In response, the militant organization has launched rocket strikes on Israeli targets, such as the Ramat David air base east of Haifa. On Wednesday, the group launched a missile straight towards Tel Aviv, but Israeli air defenses were able to intercept it. The Israel Defense Forces declared later on Wednesday that it will be deploying two reserve brigades for an operation in the northern region of Israel.
In an attempt to stop a "full-blown war" between Israel and Lebanon, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Wednesday that the US is "working tirelessly" on diplomatic efforts.
At a meeting held on the fringes of the UN General Assembly in New York, Blinken said his Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) counterparts, "Risk of escalation in the region is acute, and I know that we are all very much focused on that."
Since Hamas' strike on October 7, "we are the closest we've been to spiraling to a regional war," a US official told CNN on Monday.
The insider stated that Iran, a major supporter of Hezbollah, is one of the US's main worries at the moment. The person stated that although Tehran has not yet stepped in, they will if they feel that their most potent proxy, Hezbollah, is likely to be lost.
