Attacks in Lebanon, Iran stoke concern over wider war in Middle East

The recent events have reignited the same lingering fear: that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could still spiral into a regional war.

Very different circumstances surround the assassination of a top Hamas strategist in Lebanon and the mysterious blasts in Iran that occurred this week, but the events have reignited the same lingering fear: that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could still spiral into a regional war -- and draw several factions with significant firepower into a devastating fight.

Although Israel has not publicly taken credit for the drone strike that killed Hamas deputy chief Saleh Arouri in Beirut on Tuesday, U.S. officials say the country was indeed behind the attack.

On Thursday, ISIS claimed responsibility for the twin blasts at an event marking the death of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the former head of Iran's elite Quds Force who was killed in a U.S. airstrike four years ago. While the U.S. is still gathering its own intelligence, one senior administration official told ABC News on Wednesday that the bombings were consistent with an ISIS attack.

Before ISIS had claimed responsibility for the blasts in Iran, Biden administration officials publicly emphasized there was no evidence to link Israel to the deadly explosions and flatly denied any U.S. involvement.

But Iranian authorities and officials from Hezbollah -- a Lebanese militant group that has been intermittently exchanging fire with Israeli forces for months -- were quick to blame Israel for both incidents, vowing revenge.