"Hezbollah is committed to the ceasefire agreement, even though Israel has not respected this commitment over the past period," the spokesperson said. "It continues to kill, assassinate, and attack areas, including entering border villages and remaining at the five points."

Iran’s secure regional position was based on its strong deterrence system. With that gone, it was left exposed and vulnerable to Israel’s attacks.

The aerial war between Israel and Iran has been playing out over the skies of the Levant, prompting concerns in each country about its effects on internal stability and their strategic position.Iraq has condemned the Israeli strikes on Friday that ignited the war.

Through its proxies, Iran once dominated the Middle East. After October 7 and the current war with Iran, the Islamic Republic's position in the Middle East might shift.

Israel's attack on Iran lifted the dollar ahead of the weekend, but it barely rose above the previous session's high.

Lebanese journalist Raghida Dergham and former Mossad analyst Sima Shine spoke about Iran's waning power after the decimation of Hezbollah and the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Israel's calculations changed on Oct. 7, 2023, the day that looks like it could be remembered as a turning point in the region’s history.

For much of the 20th century, the US and Iran maintained friendly relations. During the Cold War, Washington depended on the Shah of Iran to counter Soviet influence in the oil-rich Middle East.

Iran will now feel it is at a crossroads in terms of how to respond. The region will feel it is sitting on a kind of volcano – one that it hoped would stay dormant.