Israel on Friday sought to deal a decisive blow to Hezbollah by targeting the Iranian-backed group’s long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah, underscoring its willingness to escalate warfare in the region to achieve its aims.

It is unclear whether Nasrallah was killed in the Friday strike that on Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut, which toppled several buildings and left plumes of orange and black smoke billowing above the skyline.

Nasrallah has led the U.S.-designated-terrorist group Hezbollah since assuming leadership in 1992 after Israel assassinated his predecessor.

He is a long-time foe of Israel, which has fought two major wars in Lebanon, in 1982 and 2006. Over the past 18 years, Nasrallah has positioned Hezbollah closer to Lebanon's border with Israel, probing Israel's defenses and periodically exchanging fire.

A religious cleric, Nasrallah has expanded Hezbollah’s popularity among Lebanese people, institutionalizing its political influence in government and local communities and disciplining its army into a well-resourced and potent fighting force.

“Charismatic, highly intelligent, and deeply religious, his face appears on billboards, key chains, and screensavers; excerpts of his speeches are even used as cell phone ringtones,” the Council of Foreign Relations wrote in a profile in 2010.

A 2006........

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