JUST NOW: Swedish embassy closes - "deteriorating situation"

Tobias Billström
Sweden's embassy in Lebanon is closed

Knut Sahlin Ekberg

Updated 23.08 | Published 22.23

 

Protests in Beirut on Friday.

1 / 2Photo: Hussein Malla / AP

Sweden's embassy in Lebanon is being relocated to Cyprus.

The reason is the deteriorating security situation in the country, confirms Foreign Minister Tobias Billström.

Sweden's embassy in Lebanon and its staff are to be relocated to Cyprus, something TV4 was the first to report.

The reason for the decision is the deteriorating security situation in the country.

- With regard to the deteriorating situation in the region and the safety of the Foreign Ministry's staff, Sweden's envoy will temporarily leave in Lebanon and travel to Cyprus,  It is a temporary relocation of the embassy, ​​says Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M) to Aftonbladet.

Initially, the decision applies to August, but may be extended.

- The security situation will be continuously evaluated, says Billström.

The embassy will thus no longer be able to provide Swedes with support on the ground in Lebanon. Tobias Billström also underlines his call to Swedes in place to leave the country.

The conflict has escalated

- The Swedes who defy the advice bear a great deal of personal responsibility, and we have clearly explained that they cannot count on help in the event of a worsening situation, he says.

For several months, Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon have been attacking each other with. 

But in recent days, the conflict has escalated further.

Five days ago, 12 children daid barn in a massacre in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Hezbollah militia was accused of being behind it. The next day, Israel attacked several targets ”deep” into Libanon.

And on Tuesday, a top Hezbollah official was killed in an attack targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut.

But whether the conflict escalates further is unclear, according to Middle East expert Anders Persson.

- Now the ball is in Hezbollah's court. It's hard to say if they will respond to this. It's an unstable, precarious situation and it could escalate further, but I don't see this attack as escalating in itself,  he said on tuesday.

The security situation has deteriorated in Lebanon, says Foreign Minister Tobias Billström. Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT / TT News Agency