Israel and Iran have opened a new chapter in their long history of conflict. Israel launched a major attack with strikes early Friday that set off explosions in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

For quite some time now, Iran has pledged to destroy Israel while it supported regional groups that have declared Israel their enemy. Israel, on its part, views Iran as an existential threat and has vowed to prevent it from building a nuclear bomb.

Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear and military sites have pushed the long-simmering rivalry into open warfare, with Tehran retaliating and hitting key Israeli cities. With the US trying to balance diplomacy and deterrence,

What was the context for these attacks? What kind of damage has been inflicted? How has Iran responded? How has the world responded, and what happens next?

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was long considered Iran’s first line of defense in case of a war with Israel.

Israeli forces seal entrances of several cities and villages in occupied Palestinian territory amid conflict with Iran.