US, UK, France urge foreigners to leave Lebanon ‘as soon as possible’

(CNN) — The United States, the United Kingdom, and France are among several countries urging their citizens to leave Lebanon as heightened tensions in the region spark fears of a widening Middle East conflict.

The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon called on citizens to book “any ticket available to them.”

Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy said his message for British citizens was “leave now.”

The region is on high alert after Iran vowed revenge on Israel, who it blames for the assassination of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in the capital Tehran earlier this week. Haniyeh’s death came just hours after an Israeli strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut killed Hezbollah’s most senior military commander, Fu’ad Shukr.

The developments have raised concerns that Israel’s war in Gaza, which is now well into its ninth month, could spill over into a full-blown Middle Eastern conflict.

It is thought that Lebanon-based Hezbollah could play a prominent part in any such retaliation. The militant group has been involved in daily exchanges of fire with Israel; overnight on Saturday, Hezbollah fired 30 projectiles, most of which were intercepted ...