US troops deployed to Cyprus as fears of wider Middle East war intensify

Dozens of US troops have been deployed to Cyprus amid sharply escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, and they are preparing for a range of contingencies including a possible evacuation operation from Lebanon for US citizens should a full-blown war erupt, two US officials told CNN.

Dozens of US troops have been deployed to Cyprus amid sharply escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, and they are preparing for a range of contingencies including a possible evacuation operation from Lebanon for US citizens should a full-blown war erupt, two US officials told CNN. Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said earlier this week that the US military would be deploying “a small number of US military personnel forward” to the region “out of an abundance of caution.” But he declined to say how many troops were deployed, where they were sent, and what branch they belonged to. Cyprus played a key role in helping to evacuate foreign nationals from Lebanon during Israel’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006, facilitating the departure and accommodation of tens of thousands of people at the time as they fled the conflict. Cyprus’s deputy government spokesperson, Yiannis Antoniou, told Reuters last month that the island nation is again on standby to help if needed. The UK announced on Tuesday that it was sending 700 troops to Cyprus to prepare for a possible emergency evacuation of British citizens from Lebanon if one becomes necessary. “The most important message from me this evening is to British nationals in Lebanon, to leave immediately and I just want to reinforce that,” said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The US State Department has also repeatedly warned US citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial travel options are still available.