Israel and Iran exchanged strikes late Sunday and early Monday, marking the biggest escalation in direct fighting since the U.S.-Iran cease-fire took hold in April.

President Trump says he asked Israel to delay attacking Beirut and urged Hezbollah to hold fire. The effort comes as Iran halts talks with the U.S. amid Israel's expanding invasion of Lebanon.

Israel will escalate strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on ​Monday, as a U.S. official said the militia had ignored warnings to halt firing at Israel in a conflict that could threaten U.

Trump says Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting after U.S. leader talked with Netanyahu and mediators

As concerns mount that Israel’s parallel war with Lebanon could jeopardize progress in U.S.-Iran peace deal talks, here’s what to know about the conflict, its key players, and the steeped history behind the clashes.

The new reality is the result of Iran’s effort to link the fate of both conflicts, and of the diverging priorities of the US president and the Israeli prime minister.

The fighting came after US President Donald Trump declared Monday that he had brokered a deal which the Lebanese embassy in Washington said would at first only cover Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks on Israeli territory, before expanding in scope.

Iran-US war latest: Trump insists Israel will not resume war after ‘on your own’ warning to Netanyahu - US president said of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu: ‘If I tell him to do something,