Tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes on both sides of the border
Regional tensions have soared after Iran threatened retaliation over an Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus this month that killed two Iranian generals.
Here are 10 points about the big story
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Because Iran viewed the attack on the embassy as equivalent to an attack on its own territory, sources say, a direct attack on Israeli territory by Iran itself rather than a proxy such as Hezbollah in Lebanon was a real possibility.
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Countries including India, France and Russia have warned their citizens against traveling to the region, which is already tense due to the war in Gaza, now in its seventh month.
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US President Joe Biden said he expected Iran to try to attack Israel in the short term and pledged “ironclad” support for Washington’s key regional ally, despite diplomatic tensions over Israel’s military action in Gaza. “We are committed to defending Israel, we will support Israel, we will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said.
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Iranian sources and US diplomats say Tehran has told Washington it wants to avoid escalation and will not act hastily.
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A defense official said the Pentagon was “moving additional resources to the region to strengthen regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for U.S. forces.”
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Washington, which has not maintained diplomatic ties with Tehran since the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic revolution, has also asked its allies to use their influence on Iran to urge restraint.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned earlier this week that Israel “must be punished and will be punished,” days after one of his advisers said Israeli embassies are “no longer safe.”
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The Israeli army said it had not issued any new instructions to civilians, but that its forces were on high alert and prepared for a range of scenarios.
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Iran has missiles that can hit Israel directly and in recent weeks Israel has strengthened its air defenses, which have intercepted thousands of missiles fired by Hamas from Gaza and by Hezbollah from Lebanon.
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Tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes on both sides of the border. The Israeli army has recalled reservists in preparation for a possible escalation along the northern border, where it exchanges fire with Hezbollah almost daily.
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