Israel eliminated a Hezbollah commander and warned it not to join Iran.

Amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, tensions in southern Lebanon have also intensified. On Thursday night, a Hezbollah commander was killed by an Israeli drone strike in the town of Barish, in southern Lebanon.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the target was Yassin Izz a-Din, commander of Hezbollah's rocket artillery unit in the Litani River region.

A-Din was involved in multiple rocket attacks against northern Israel and in attempts to rebuild Hezbollah's artillery capability, which represented a clear violation of the agreements between Israel and Lebanon, according to the IDF.

This attack takes place in a context of increased hostility between Israel and pro-Iranian groups. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah to stay out of the conflict with Iran, stating that the group's leader, Naim Qassem, successor to Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in September in an Israeli attack, "has not learned from his predecessors" and that Israel has lost patience with those who threaten it. Katz emphasized that any aggression from Hezbollah will be met with severity.

Meanwhile, Qassem stated on Thursday that Hezbollah will act as it deems necessary in the face of the conflict between Israel and Iran. The Lebanese group reaffirmed its full solidarity with Iran and warned that threats against Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would have "disastrous consequences."

They described the assassination threats against Khamenei as an offense not only to Iran, but to hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide.

The conflict intensified on June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and missile capabilities, fearing that Tehran is close to developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran replied with a massive launch of missiles and drones against Israeli territory. One of the most serious attacks hit the Soroka hospital in Beersheba, and several residential buildings near Tel Aviv, leaving at least 240 injured, four of them in serious condition.

In response, Israel has intensified its airstrikes on Iran, including among its targets senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. The growing escalation has caused international concern, especially over the possible involvement of Hezbollah in the conflict.

The United States special envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, traveled to Beirut on Thursday to meet with Lebanese authorities and express the U.S. opposition to direct Hezbollah involvement in the conflict.

Barrack warned the president of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, an ally of the Shiite group, that attacking Israel would be a "very bad decision." He added that both President Donald Trump and other officials have been clear in this message.

From Washington, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump will decide in the next two weeks whether to launch a direct attack against Iran, although he still hopes for a negotiated solution. Leavitt acknowledged that Iran already possesses the technical capability to manufacture a nuclear weapon, and that only a decision from Ayatollah Khamenei is needed to proceed.

Meanwhile, Iran stated that it will not discuss its nuclear program while under attack, which complicates de-escalation efforts. Meanwhile, Israel has requested military support from the United States, including the use of bunker-buster bombs to destroy Iran's Fordow nuclear facility, located in a mountain.

On Friday, the foreign ministers of the European Union, including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, will meet in Geneva with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, with the aim of seeking a diplomatic solution to halt the military escalation in the Middle East.