On Thursday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander warned Israel not to retaliate against Iran following a recent missile attack.
This comes as Israel intensifies its military operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran. Concerns about a wider conflict in the Middle East are rising as Israel considers its response to the October 1 missile strike, which occurred after Israel's airstrikes on Iran-aligned militants.
The commander, Hossein Salami, warned Israel in a televised speech that any aggression would be met with a painful response. He also claimed that Iran is capable of breaching Israel's defenses.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed Israel's military actions in Lebanon and Gaza with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, aiming to prevent a regional war.
Additionally, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with Egypt's President in Cairo, where the latter urged for efforts to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
Despite diplomatic efforts, Israel shows no signs of reducing its military campaigns against Hezbollah in Lebanon, after targeting some of its leaders, or against Hamas in Gaza. Israel has also promised to retaliate against Iran for its missile attack.
Israel carried out airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, while the U.S. conducted strikes in Yemen against Iran-aligned forces.
Qatar, which had mediated unsuccessful ceasefire talks, reported no recent efforts to engage parties involved in the Gaza conflict.
In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 11 people on Thursday, while ground troops moved into the northern town of Jabalia, raising concerns about food and medical supply shortages.
On the Lebanese front, Israel said it killed 45 Hezbollah fighters, including a battalion commander, in the past 24 hours and captured weapons. Israeli operations in Lebanon have resulted in 2,350 deaths over the last year and displaced over 1.2 million people. In the same period, around 50 Israelis have died.
Israel issued evacuation orders for residents in three areas of eastern Lebanon on Thursday, warning them to stay away from buildings used by Hezbollah.
An Israeli airstrike on Wednesday killed 16 people, including the mayor of a southern Lebanese town, marking the biggest attack on an official state building since Israel's air campaign started.
Lebanese officials condemned the attack, saying Israel's focus was shifting to government targets. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified since the group started supporting Hamas by launching missiles at Israel a year ago.
A displaced Lebanese man, Abdelnaser, reflected on the country's ongoing cycle of war and reconstruction, saying, "War has become normal for us."
