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

Yeah. Hezbollah said it was *** ballistic missile um which flies high carries *** much heavier payload, hundreds of kilograms of explosives than the shorter range missiles that they're using have been using across the border continue to use. And the medium range missiles which go maybe 30 miles or so uh 45 kilometers or so inside of Israel, this was bigger and it flew higher and it was intercepted not by the iron dome which is used for those to intercept those smaller missiles, but by David Sling, which is Israel's missile interceptor for those much higher altitude, much faster flying missiles of the ballistic type that Hezbollah said that it fired today and it was intercepted, it didn't reach its target. The Mossad headquarters, which is what Hezbollah said, where it was targeted to go. It's not, we understand that there were no casualties on the ground that this detonated in the air, but it does represent an escalation, not an escalation that some in Israel feared could happen whereby Hezbollah would fire multiple of these missiles to try to get around the defensive missile system here. So one so it is *** signal but it really speaks to that escalation and we've heard in the last hour that Israel has decided to call up two reserve brigades of troops. This does seem to bolster the possibility and growing expectation that Israel may send troops across the border.

Dozens of U.S. 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 U.S. citizens should a full-blown war erupt, four U.S. officials told CNN.Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said earlier this week that the U.S. military would be deploying “a small number of U.S. 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 U.K. 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 U.S. State Department has also repeatedly warned U.S. citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial travel options are still available.Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have reached new highs over the last week, beginning when Israel carried out covert attacks that detonated Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies. Israel followed up by pounding Beirut and southern Lebanon with airstrikes that have killed hundreds of civilians and Hezbollah fighters in recent days.The militant group has responded with rocket attacks targeting Israeli sites including Ramat David air base east of Haifa, and on Wednesday launched a missile directly at Tel Aviv which was intercepted by Israeli air defenses. Later on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces announced it would be calling up two reserve brigades for a mission in northern Israel.Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the U.S. is “working tirelessly” on diplomatic efforts to prevent an “full-blown war” between Israel and Lebanon.“Risk of escalation in the region is acute, and I know that we are all very much focused on that,” Blinken told his counterparts in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) at a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.A U.S. official told CNN on Monday that “we are the closest we’ve been to spiraling to a regional war” since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.One of the biggest concerns for the U.S. right now is that Iran, which is a key backer of Hezbollah, will get involved, the official said. Tehran has not intervened yet, but they will if they believe they are about to lose their most powerful proxy force, Hezbollah, the official added.

WASHINGTON —

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said earlier this week that the U.S. military would be deploying “a small number of U.S. 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, last month that the island nation is again on standby to help if needed.

The U.K. 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 U.S. State Department has also repeatedly warned U.S. citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial travel options are still available.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have reached new highs over the last week, beginning when Israel carried out covert attacks that detonated Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies. Israel followed up by pounding Beirut and southern Lebanon with airstrikes that have killed hundreds of civilians and Hezbollah fighters in recent days.

The militant group has responded with rocket attacks targeting Israeli sites including Ramat David air base east of Haifa, and on Wednesday launched a missile directly at Tel Aviv which was intercepted by Israeli air defenses. Later on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces announced it would be calling up two reserve brigades for a mission in northern Israel.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the U.S. is “working tirelessly” on diplomatic efforts to prevent an “full-blown war” between Israel and Lebanon.

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

A U.S. official told CNN on Monday that “we are the closest we’ve been to spiraling to a regional war” since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

One of the biggest concerns for the U.S. right now is that Iran, which is a key backer of Hezbollah, will get involved, the official said. Tehran has not intervened yet, but they will if they believe they are about to lose their most powerful proxy force, Hezbollah, the official added.

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