US troops stationed in Cyprus: Fears of a larger war in the Middle East grow

CNN
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Amid a sharp escalation in tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, dozens of US troops have been deployed to Cyprus to prepare for a range of eventualities, including a possible evacuation of US citizens from Lebanon should a full-scale war break out, four US officials told CNN.

Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said earlier this week that the US military would send “a small number of US troops” to the region “out of an abundance of caution.” However, he declined to say how many troops were deployed, where they were sent or what branch of the military they belonged to.

Cyprus played a key role in the evacuation of 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 fleeing the conflict.

Cyprus' deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou told Reuters last month that the island nation was again ready to help if needed.

Britain announced on Tuesday that it was sending 700 troops to Cyprus to prepare for a possible emergency evacuation of British citizens from Lebanon should this become necessary.

“My main message this evening is to British nationals in Lebanon to leave immediately, and I just want to reiterate that,” said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The US State Department has also repeatedly warned US citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial travel options still exist.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah reached a new high last week, starting with covert Israeli attacks that detonated Hezbollah's pagers and walkie-talkies, and then Israel bombarded Beirut and southern Lebanon with airstrikes that have killed hundreds of civilians and Hezbollah fighters in recent days.

The militant group responded with rocket attacks on Israeli targets, including the Ramat David air base east of Haifa. On Wednesday, it fired a rocket directly at Tel Aviv, but it was intercepted by Israeli air defenses. Later Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces announced it was calling up two reserve brigades for a deployment in northern Israel.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the United States would work “tirelessly” diplomatically to prevent a “full-blown war” between Israel and Lebanon.

“The risk of escalation in the region is acute, and I know we are all very focused on that,” Blinken told his counterparts in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) at a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

A US official told CNN on Monday that “we have never been closer to a regional war since the October 7 Hamas attack.”

One of the United States' biggest concerns right now is that Iran, a key backer of Hezbollah, could intervene in the conflict, the official said. Tehran has not yet intervened but will do so if it fears losing its most powerful proxy force, Hezbollah, the official added.