Iran Warned US of 'Full Attack' if Israel Assaulted Lebanon Ridge

Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned the United States in August that Tehran would launch a large-scale attack in response to any Israeli military operation on the Al-Tahir ridge in southern Lebanon. The warning, conveyed through Oman, led to significant American pressure on Israel, resulting in the postponement of a planned Israeli assault on the strategic ridge.

The Al-Tahir ridge is a key flashpoint where Hezbollah has established a vast underground command center and weapons storage facility. Israeli forces have surrounded the area, cutting off access to the facility, where dozens of Hezbollah fighters and over a dozen Iranian Revolutionary Guard members, including senior officers, are reportedly trapped.

A foreign official familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Iranian ultimatum prompted substantial diplomatic pressure from Washington, which ultimately caused Israel to delay its planned offensive. The Iranian message was unequivocal: any Israeli military action would be met with a broad military response from Tehran.

Hezbollah's media office declined to officially confirm or deny the Iranian message but stated that such a warning would be a "natural conclusion." They asserted that any Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon, particularly territorial expansion, would be a severe violation of the "Islamabad Agreement," referring to a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran from June concerning a ceasefire in Lebanon. Hezbollah claims any Israeli action on the ridge would breach these understandings.