Overview

• Abu Ali Khalil served as a bodyguard to the late Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and was killed in the June 21 strike in Tehran.
• The head of security for the Iran-aligned Iraqi group Kataeb Sayyed Al-Shuhada and Khalil’s son were also killed in the attack.
• Israel and Iran have exchanged airstrikes for nine consecutive days after Israel accused Tehran of nearing nuclear weapons capability.
• Hezbollah has so far refrained from launching attacks from Lebanon in support of Iran’s retaliatory strikes.
• The escalation highlights risks of a wider regional conflict and complicates ongoing diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.