NEW | British troops based at Dhekelia in Cyprus have arrived in Lebanon for Pegasus Cedar 2026, a…
Armed Conflict · · United Kingdom
NEW | British troops based at Dhekelia in Cyprus have arrived in Lebanon for Pegasus Cedar 2026, a three-week exercise with the Lebanese Armed Forces’ Air Assault Regiment.
The training includes reconnaissance, small-unit tactics, mortars and helicopter operations. U.S. and Italian personnel are also taking part, while France, Cyprus, Qatar and Jordan are attending as observers, according to the British Embassy.
It’s the first Pegasus Cedar exercise since 2023, and the timing is worth noting.
London is openly putting more weight behind the Lebanese army as the country’s “sole legitimate defender,” while Western governments push for stronger state control over security. British troops are deploying into Lebanon from Dhekelia, giving Cyprus a very practical role in that support network.
I wouldn’t go as far as calling this preparation for a post-UNIFIL force yet. That connection is being discussed in the wider Lebanese context, but neither the British nor Lebanese statements describe Pegasus Cedar that way.
Source: @GeoInsider
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