The United States warned Iran or its allies against any "escalation" in the wake of Israel's war with Hamas, two top U.S. officials said, hours after the Pentagon moved to step up military readiness in the region.

With tensions mounting, Washington also announced Sunday it had ordered non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in Iraq.

Hezbollah announced the deaths of seven more militants as clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border intensified and the Israeli prime minister warned Lebanon on Sunday not to let itself get dragged into a new war.

Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah militants have traded fire across the border since Israel's war with the Palestinian group Hamas began, but the launches so far have targeted limited areas.

Shocked by images of dead children in Gaza, Mustafa al-Sayyid quickly whisked his family to the closest shelter when Israeli strikes began near his village in southern Lebanon this week.

"What we are seeing on television -- the massacres happening in Gaza, the children -- it cuts your heart to pieces," said the 53-year-old from Beit Leef, barely six kilometers from the Israeli border.

Hezbollah will make "the mistake of its life" if it starts a war with Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, as tensions rose on the Israel-Lebanon border.

His remarks came during a visit as the Israeli leader visited troops near Israel's northern border with Lebanon where increasing artillery exchanges have heightened fears of a new front opening as Israel battles Hamas in Gaza.

Hezbollah's escalating attacks on Israel risk "dragging Lebanon into a war," Israel's military said Sunday, after renewed cross-border exchanges of fire that have raised fears of a wider conflict.

"Hezbollah... is dragging Lebanon into a war that it will gain nothing from, but stands to lose a lot," Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Sunday that diplomatic efforts were ongoing to "stop Israeli attacks on Lebanon" and prevent the Gaza conflict from spilling into the country.

"Lebanon's friends are with us in continuing to make every effort to return the situation to normal," Mikati said in a statement.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has noted "growing concern over rising tensions" on the Lebanese-Israeli border in a telephone call with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, a statement said.

Blinken, however, "underscored continued U.S. support" for Lebanon's army, security forces and people, spokesperson Matthew Miller said in the Saturday statement.

Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has vowed that Israel will pay a high price whenever it starts a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, saying that his Lebanon-based group already is "in the heart of the battle."

The comments by Qassem came as Israel shelled and made drone strikes in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah fired rockets and missiles toward Israel. Hezbollah said six of its fighters were killed Saturday, the highest daily toll since the violence began two weeks ago.

By Asher Kaufman, University of Notre Dame

Lebanon, which is teetering on the edge of economic and political collapse, risks becoming entangled in the escalating war between Israel and Hamas.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Saturday that Hezbollah "has decided to participate in the fighting" that is raging between Israel and the Gaza-based Hamas movement.

“Hezbollah has decided to participate in the fighting, and we are exacting a heavy price for this,” said Gallant during a visit to the border with Lebanon, referring to the deadly cross-border exchanges with the Iran-backed group that have been ongoing since the day that followed Hamas' Oct. 7 massive attack on Israel.