According to Axios, a cycle of escalation in the Middle East is testing a fragile diplomatic moment. On Sunday, after Hezbollah launched drones at northern Israel, Israeli forces struck a Hezbollah command center in Beirut, killing a senior commander. The timing is critical: the strike came hours before the U.S. and Iran were scheduled to sign a deal ending their conflict. Iranian officials are now signaling the Israeli attack could derail those negotiations, arguing the U.S. lacks the will or ability to restrain Israel. But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth downplayed the threat, calling Israel's response measured and shifting responsibility to Iran to rein in Hezbollah. What unfolds in the coming hours could determine whether a major diplomatic breakthrough survives its first serious stress test.

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