Can the UK successfully evacuate British nationals from Lebanon?
The government has stepped up plans for a 'Dunkirk-style' evacuation of British nationals from the country
More than a thousand British troops are on standby for a mass evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon as tensions rise in the Middle East, in an operation which could be "on a similar scale" as the operation during the Taliban's takeover of Kabul.
"Hundreds of military personnel from all three services, including Royal Marine commandos, have already been deployed to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus," reported The Times. The paper added that "hundreds more" troops in the UK are "being held at readiness to move out to the region".
The risk of a "sudden" escalation in the region is deemed "so acute" that preparations are underway for an evacuation on the scale of Operation Pitting, the mission that rescued British citizens and Afghans from Kabul following the Taliban's takeover in August 2021.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Foreign Office has repeatedly urged British nationals to leave Lebanon after the recent killings of two militant leaders in Beirut and Tehran — attacks attributed to Israel by Iran. British ministers are now preparing for a possible coordinated attack on Israel involving Iran, Hezbollah, and other Iranian-backed proxies, which in turn could provoke a significant response from Israel.
There is concern that Israel might "widen its strikes" and retaliate with airstrikes across Lebanon, potentially triggering a crisis that "could spiral into an all-out regional conflict" involving the United States and the UK, said the paper.
There are "real fears of an all-out war that would be even worse than the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah", said The Independent, a conflict that "is believed to have killed around 1,300 Lebanese people and 165 Israelis."
What did the commentators say?
Currently, an estimated 16,000 British nationals are in Lebanon, Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the House of Commons last week. Urging British nationals to leave immediately, he said: "Tensions are high, and the situation could deteriorate rapidly. While we are working around the clock to strengthen our consular presence in Lebanon, my message to British nationals there is clear — leave now."
A source told The Times that there are concerns the region could become "red hot" with Israel possibly targeting areas like Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut. There are also fears that Israel may "go hard" in an attack on the country and bomb its international airport, as occurred in the 2006 war, said the paper. "The question is, what comes after that?" the source added.
Commercial airlines may also soon cease operations in and out of Lebanon, leaving British nationals facing an "agonising decision" to either "hunker down wherever they are until the fighting subsides or to evacuate", said The Daily Mail.
In response, the government has "stepped up" plans for a 'Dunkirk-style' evacuation, codenamed Operation Meteoric, which would be led by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.
Operation Meteoric would involve HMS Duncan, a Type 45 destroyer currently sailing in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the supply ship RFA Cardigan Bay. British Typhoon fighter jets, flying from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, would also provide air support for stranded Britons.
Royal Marines from 30 Commando have already "conducted reconnaissance along the Lebanese coast to choose a landing site", said the paper. Border Force officials would process UK nationals as they boarded Royal Navy and RFA vessels.
But questions are already emerging "over the readiness of Border Force (UKBF) to respond to the deepening security crisis", after an official was photographed holding a document outlining the role of immigration officials in a potential rescue bid, said the paper.
"Will there be enough UKBF resource? How long could UKBF sustain this operation? Do they have the capability to process 24/7?" the document asked.
Some British nationals in Lebanon have also reported facing "bureaucratic obstacles" in following Foreign Office advice to leave via commercial routes, said The Times. With Syria's border closed to most Westerners and no ferry services, "the airport is the only route in or out".
Others say their funds were "lost or frozen" during the 2019 collapse of Lebanon's banking system, leaving them unable to afford a return to the UK.
What next?
Amid "a flurry of international diplomacy to de-escalate tensions," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was urged by Keir Starmer to "stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack" during a rare telephone conversation on Monday, said the BBC.
But Pezeshkian reportedly dismissed these appeals, asserting that retaliation was a "way to stop crime" and Iran’s "legal right," according to Iranian state media.
Meanwhile, Israel, while not confirming involvement in the assassinations, has elevated its military to the highest alert level. The US has also warned that it is bracing for "a significant set of attacks" by Iran or its proxies as early as this week and has bolstered its military presence in the Middle East to support Israel.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Sorcha Bradley is a writer at The Week and a regular on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. She worked at The Week magazine for a year and a half before taking up her current role with the digital team, where she mostly covers UK current affairs and politics. Before joining The Week, Sorcha worked at slow-news start-up Tortoise Media. She has also written for Sky News, The Sunday Times, the London Evening Standard and Grazia magazine, among other publications. She has a master’s in newspaper journalism from City, University of London, where she specialised in political journalism.
-
What are Trump's plans for public health?
Today's Big Question From abortion access to vaccine mandates
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom ban
Speed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What message is Trump sending with his Cabinet picks?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION By nominating high-profile loyalists like Matt Gaetz and RFK Jr., is Trump serious about creating a functioning Cabinet, or does he have a different plan in mind?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
What Mike Huckabee means for US-Israel relations
In the Spotlight Some observers are worried that the conservative evangelical minister could be a destabilizing influence on an already volatile region
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
What does the G20 summit say about the new global order?
Today's Big Question Donald Trump's election ushers in era of 'transactional' geopolitics that threatens to undermine international consensus
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
What will Trump mean for the Middle East?
Talking Point President-elect's 'pro-Israel stance' could mask a more complex and unpredictable approach to the region
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Netanyahu's gambit: axing his own defence minster
Talking Point Sacking of Yoav Gallant demonstrated 'utter contempt' for Israeli public
By The Week UK Published