De-escalation remains our focus, Defence Secretary says as he visits Armed Forces in Cyprus
Around 700 personnel rapidly deployed to Cyprus last week to support Government contingency planning amid rising tensions in the region.
Defence Secretary John Healey meets personnel in Cyprus
The professionalism and commitment of UK Armed Forces deployed in Cyprus was praised by the Defence Secretary John Healey today as he visited key sites involved in Middle East contingency preparations.
Around 700 additional Armed Forces personnel, as well as FCDO and Home Office staff, including Border Force officers, have travelled to Cyprus to support UK Government contingency planning, as British nationals are urged again to leave Lebanon immediately.
Healey arrived in Cyprus on Tuesday evening and met personnel on the ground at the Sovereign Base Areas - including RAF Akrotiri - on Wednesday to thank them for their quick work to rapidly relocate to the region. The personnel stand ready to provide support to the FCDO if the situation in Lebanon continues to deteriorate.
It comes after the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary and Foreign Secretary all condemned Iran’s large-scale attack on Israel on Tuesday evening and repeated calls for de-escalation. The Defence Secretary has also confirmed that two Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets and a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East, demonstrating the UK’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.
Due to the nature of the attack, they did not engage any targets, but they played an important part in wider deterrence.
The Prime Minister discussed the volatile situation in the region with His Majesty King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Macron and Chancellor Scholz on Tuesday, while the Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Katz today, after warning Iran yesterday against action that could further push the region to the brink. The Defence Secretary has discussed the situation with his German and Israeli counterparts.
A FCDO commercial charter flight has been organised from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport today to help British nationals leave following the escalating violence in the region.
The Royal Air Force maintains aircraft and transport helicopters on standby to provide support if necessary, while Royal Navy ship HMS Duncan and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Mounts Bay remain in the eastern Mediterranean.
Defence Secretary John Healey said:
The situation across the Middle East is extremely serious and de-escalation remains our focus. We continue to call for a ceasefire in Lebanon, where the safety of British nationals is our highest priority and it is critical that any who remain in Lebanon leave immediately.
Here in Cyprus, the preparations and plans are in place. I’ve been briefed on the ground by UK personnel who are ready to act at short notice. And I thanked them for their commitment and professionalism.
We continue to coordinate closely with Allies and partners as the situation grows more serious. Our government continues to urge a diplomatic solution to prevent wider regional escalation and further loss of life.
UK government officials have been working non-stop in London, Beirut and the wider region in recent weeks to increase capacity on commercial flights to allow British nationals to leave, as well as to continue contingency planning for a range of scenarios in the region. An FCDO Rapid Deployment Team is also in Lebanon to bolster the support offered by British Embassy officials.
British nationals and their spouse or partner, and children under the age of 18 are eligible for today’s FCDO charter flight and will need to hold a valid travel document. Dependants who are not British nationals will require a valid visa that has been granted for a period of stay in the UK of more than 6 months.
The UK was the first G7 country to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese Hizballah, and the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary engaged with their counterparts at the UN General Assembly last week to urge them to do the same.
11 other countries, including the US, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, have now joined calls for a 21-day ceasefire to prevent further civilian casualties and ensure that displaced people can return to their homes.
The UK is also providing £5 million to UNICEF in Lebanon to support humanitarian response efforts and enable UNICEF to distribute supplies to those in need.