Escalation in Middle East as Israel Strikes Hezbollah in Beirut

A drone strike on northern Israel set off a chain reaction Sunday: Israel hit Hezbollah targets in Beirut in retaliation, and Iran is now threatening to strike back.Why it matters: The escalation lands hours before the the U.S. and Iran are supposed to sign a deal to end their war, and now Iranian officials have signaled Israel's attack could scuttle the agreement. A similar strike last week led to Iran launching missiles at Israel and a day of escalation between the two countries. The latest: President Trump criticized Israel's strike in a post on Truth Social, saying it "should not have happened" with a peace deal so close.He dismissed the drone attack Israel was relatiating to as "very small and meaningless" and urged "all sides" to stand down — an apparent appeal to Iran's threat to retaliate: "This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let's not blow it!"Driving the news: On Sunday morning, Hezbollah launched several drones at northern Israel. Hours later, Israel struck a Hezbollah command center in Beirut, the IDF said. The strikes killed a Hezbollah commander and wounded four others, an IDF official says.Behind the scenes: The Israeli military notified the U.S. Central Command shortly before the Beirut strike, Israeli and U.S. officials say.It is not clear whether the White House gave it a green light. Screenshot/Truth SocialWhat they are saying: Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signaled the Israeli strike on Beirut could undermine the U.S.–Iran deal. "The Zionist aggression on Dahieh has once again shown that America either does not have the will or the ability to fulfill its obligations. You cannot gain concessions by giving the regime [Israel] a green light. The good cop, bad cop routine has become old. If you do not have the will or the ability to fulfill your commitments, then there is no basis for talking about continuing down this path," said Ghalibaf who is also Iran's speaker of parliament. What to watch: The deputy commander of the Iranian armed forces' emergency headquarters Gen. Mohammed Jafar Asadi said the Israeli attack on Beirut "will not go unanswered".In a statement, the IDF said it's preparing for possible incoming fire on Israel "in the coming hours" and warns it "will not tolerate attacks" on Israeli territory.The other side: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth played down any threat to the deal, telling CBS's "Face the Nation" it's "not a matter of if, it's a matter of when."He doesn't expect the Beirut strike to disrupt the talks and calls Israel's response "very measured" with a deal so close.But he puts the onus on Tehran: "If Iran wants this to hold, they need to pull back Hezbollah."Editor's note: This story was updated with President Trump's post, the IDF's statement and Defense Secretary Hegseth's comments on Face the Nation.