Follow NBC News' live coverage as the IDF targets Hezbollah leaders in Beirut and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei speaks after missile attack.

In the wake of the escalated conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, it was reported that Hashem Safieddine, the frontrunner to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, was targeted in Israel’s latest strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs.

But even as he did so, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, was in Beirut, appearing eager to convey Iran’s readiness to support a joint cease-fire in Lebanon and in Gaza. The contrasting diplomacy and defiance spotlighted Iran’s efforts to assert its regional power while limiting damage to its land and people.