In April, Iran fired 170 bomb-carrying drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and over 120 ballistic missiles at Israel following an Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy compound in Syria.

Israel, the United States and other nations fired many of the projectiles, some of which came from Yemen.

Iran could launch a similar attack, but this time Hezbollah could be drawn into the conflict as the militia seeks revenge for the Israeli attack that killed its commander Fouad Shukur last week.

Such an attack could overwhelm Israel’s air defenses and trigger further rocket attacks, increasing the risk of casualties. Experts also fear that further escalation could lead to a wider regional war.

Iran’s military buildup began in earnest in the 1980s, when Shiite forces in Lebanon fought against Israel. They developed into the Hezbollah militia.

The military buildup expanded with the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, which overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein, a long-time enemy of Tehran.

Iran strongly supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the long war in his country. And when the opportunity arose, Iran continued its support, even arming Sunni militants and seeing itself as the defender of Shiite Muslims around the world.

These relations are managed by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, one of the most powerful armed groups in the Middle East.

The militias of Iran’s self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance” include Iraqi militias, the Lebanese Hezbollah, Palestinian militant forces and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Nadi Salem Awad Salout, who died in an Israeli airstrike on August 7, was the eighth World Central Kitchen team member killed in Gaza.

On April 1, 2024, an Israeli airstrike killed Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha of Palestine, John Chapman of the United Kingdom, Jacob Flickinger of the United States and Canada, Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom of Australia, James Henderson of the United Kingdom, James Kirby of the United Kingdom and Damian Soból of Poland.

The seven workers were traveling through a conflict-free zone in two armored vehicles with the WCK logo and a soft-skin vehicle.

Images of the burned-out vehicle shocked the world when they were broadcast.

Israel has intensified its shelling of the Gaza Strip, hitting two schools, killing at least 40 people and ordering widespread evacuations.

At the same time, Iran’s allies are preparing for retaliation by Iran and Hezbollah for the killing of two high-ranking commanders in Tehran and Beirut.

Find out about the latest news from Andy Gregory:

Authorities say two men with ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard are on trial in the United States on terrorism charges in connection with the interception of a ship in the Arabian Sea that left two Navy SEALs dead.

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The leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar released a statement on Thursday pledging to provide “immediate assistance” to the people of Gaza, the hostages and their families.

“It is time to conclude the ceasefire and release the hostages and prisoners,” the statement said.

“The three of us and our teams have worked tirelessly for many months to develop a framework agreement that is now on the table and only needs to be worked out the details of implementation. This agreement is based on the principles outlined by President Biden on May 31, 2024 and endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2735.

“There is no more time to lose and neither party can justify further delays. It is time to release the hostages, initiate the ceasefire and implement this agreement. As mediators, we are ready, if necessary, to put forward a final bridging proposal that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a way that meets the expectations of all parties.

“We have called on both sides to resume urgent talks on Thursday, August 15, in Doha or Cairo to close any remaining gaps and begin implementing the agreement without further delay.”

The declaration was signed by US President Joe Biden, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Emir of the State of Qatar H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

At least 16 people were killed on Thursday after Israel carried out air strikes on two school complexes used to house displaced people in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense Agency.

The Israeli military said the attacks were aimed at destroying Hamas’ “command and control centers” on school grounds in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood. The New York Times reported. The military claimed it had taken steps “to reduce the risk of harm to the civilian population.”

A spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defense said many more people were still missing under the rubble.

The attacks on the school premises were part of a series of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza on Thursday that killed at least 40 people and seriously wounded several others, the organization added.

World Central Kitchen has paid tribute to Nadi Salem Awad Salout, one of its staff members who was killed in an Israeli airstrike near Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip on August 7.

The aid organization described the 37-year-old as an “integral member” of its team since the first days of the relief effort and as a “humanist through and through.”

Salout joined the World Central Kitchen team in January 2024, where he played a critical role in setting up the WCK warehouse in Rafah and helping implement systems that made operations more efficient.

He later moved to a WCK warehouse in Deir al-Balah and worked around the clock, often staying longer than necessary to receive trucks full of urgently needed aid, the aid group said.

According to witnesses, Salout was fatally wounded by shrapnel from an Israeli airstrike in which seven rockets targeted several buildings. He was alone in his vehicle on his way home from work at one of our WCK camps.

“WCK colleagues who worked side-by-side with Nadi remember him as an honest, dedicated and hardworking teammate whose humor brought joy to everyone around him, even in the darkest of circumstances,” WCK said in a statement.

“They describe his approach to providing humanitarian aid despite countless obstacles as full of hope and optimism. Nadi’s closest colleagues and the entire WCK family mourn this terrible loss.”

WCK CEO Erin Gore added: “Our thoughts and support go out to our colleagues who are working under unimaginable circumstances and mourning the loss of a great man.”

Salout was a husband and father of four young children.