Saudi Arabia calls on its citizens to leave Lebanon ‘immediately’

Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Beirut on Sunday called on its nationals to leave Lebanon “immediately,” amid fears of escalation and an anticipated Iranian response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

The embassy’s request followed a similar call it issused to its citizens in Beirut in June.

The embassy “is closely following the developments of events in southern Lebanon, and it renews its call on Saudi citizens to leave Lebanese territory immediately in compliance with the decision to ban travel to Lebanon,” Sunday’s statement on X said.

Tensions have soared in the region following the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a top military commander from Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Iran is highly expected to retaliate.

Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed ally of Hamas in Lebanon, have traded near-daily cross-border fire since the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack on Israel sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.