There is a growing fear of the spread of the conflict in the Middle East, where the United States of America (USA) is strengthening its military presence, after the assassination of the leader of Hamas attributed to Israel and the killing in an Israeli strike of a high-ranking official of the Lebanese Hezbollah, for which Tehran and the Lebanese movement promised to take revenge.
Washington announced yesterday that it will increase the American military presence in the region "in view of the possibility of regional escalation by Iran and its partners".
The Pentagon said it is strengthening the military presence to improve the protection of US armed forces, increase support for Israel's defense and prepare the US for various possibilities.
In order to strengthen its military presence in the region, the US will deploy more warships, ballistic missile defense carriers and an additional squadron of fighter jets, the Pentagon announced.
Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah vowed revenge and blamed Israel for Wednesday's killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which came a day after an Israeli strike killed Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr outside Beirut.
The two attacks are fueling fears of a widening war between Israel on the one hand and Iran and Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen on the other.
Iran's representative at the United Nations (UN) said today that he expects Hezbollah to strike zones "deep" in Israeli territory and will not limit itself to military targets.
Sweden announced today that it is closing its embassy in Beirut after previously advising thousands of its citizens to leave the country.
In a sign of growing concern, rumors are spreading in Lebanon about the suspension of flights, with civil aviation denying that it has canceled all flights to Beirut.
However, Air France and Transavia have extended the suspension of their flights to the Lebanese capital until at least Tuesday.
France has called on its citizens who are transiting in Iran to leave the country as soon as possible.
According to a Lebanese security source, a member of Hezbollah was killed today in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon.
According to a Hezbollah source, Iran and its allies are considering two scenarios - a simultaneous response or a phased response by each side.
On April 13, Tehran launched a drone and missile attack on Israeli territory in response to an attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1 that was attributed to Israel.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army continues its offensive in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has promised to destroy Hamas, in power in the territory since 2007, which Israel considers a terrorist organization, as do the US and the EU.
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