Hezbollah says it launched a drone attack on northern Israel

Lebanon, Aug. 7: The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched a drone attack early Monday on northern Israel that the Israeli military said wounded two Israeli troops. The violence came amid fears of an all-out regional war following the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas' top political leader in Iran. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah said it targeted a military base in northern Israel in response to "attacks and assassinations" by Israel in several villages in southern Lebanon. The attack did not appear to be the more intense retaliation that's expected from Iran and its allied militias.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily strikes for the past 10 months during the war in Gaza. But last week's assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran's capital and Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Beirut sent regional tensions soaring.

The head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened Israel on Monday over the assassination of Haniyeh, warning that Israel was "digging its own grave" with its actions against Hamas.

Israel's defense minister says the military is ready for a "swift transition to offense."

Meanwhile, the White House said Monday that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed by their national security team on U.S. military efforts to support Israel and U.S. military forces in case of another attack by Iran and its proxies.

The briefing included a discussion of diplomatic efforts to reduce regional tensions and finalize a possible agreement for a ceasefire and hostage release. Biden and Harris also received details about the attack on Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.

Likewise, a base housing U.S. troops in western Iraq was targeted by a missile strike Monday, Iraqi and U.S. security officials said.

The U.S. military said in a statement that "initial indications" were that several U.S. personnel were injured. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear. (AP)