Several countries have urged their nationals to leave Lebanon, as fears grow of a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Recall that Iran vowed to launch severe retaliation against Israel for killing Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last Wednesday. His assassination occurred  hours after Israel killed Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

Western officials fear that Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia and political movement based in Lebanon, could play a key role in retaliation, which in turn could spark a response from Israel.

According to reports, a growing number of flights have been cancelled or suspended at the country’s commercial airport in Beirut.

The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Canada, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey, and Jordan are among the countries that have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.