Syria’s military says Israel wounded two civilians and damaged a military post a strike early Thursday in the coastal city of Latakia, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the Lebanese border. Israel regularly targets military sites in Syria linked to Iran and to Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group and has escalated its campaign against Hezbollah in recent weeks,

The low-boil conflict between Israel and Iran has shaped the Middle East for decades. Of the many conflicts that have roiled the region, theirs has long been among the most explosive. The two have attacked each other — mostly quietly and in Iran’s case often by proxy — while avoiding an escalation into direct war.

Although Israel has been preparing for many years for this moment, there is low probability it will strike Iran's nuclear facilities.