Iran Warns US of Major Attack If Israel Seizes Lebanon's Ali Al-Taher Ridge

Iran has warned the United States that it will launch a large-scale attack if Israel initiates a full-scale operation to capture the strategic Ali Al-Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon. The ridge is reportedly occupied by over a dozen members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) alongside Hezbollah operatives, including at least two senior officers, according to three sources briefed on the Iranian message. The warning was conveyed to Washington via Oman, which has acted as an intermediary between the two nations. The message was reportedly delivered around mid-August, and following U.S. pressure, Israel postponed its plans to assault the ridge.

This development highlights Iran's direct and ongoing involvement in the ground fighting in southern Lebanon, suggesting IRGC members are not merely remote advisors but are actively present in a key Hezbollah military stronghold. The Ali Al-Taher Ridge is a mountainous area in southeastern Lebanon that overlooks significant territory. Lebanese security sources indicate Hezbollah has established an underground command center and weapons depots there. Hezbollah has publicly claimed control of the ridge and vowed to confront any Israeli advance.

The Hezbollah media office neither confirmed nor denied the Iranian warning to Reuters but stated that such a message regarding the ridge was a "natural conclusion." Hezbollah views any Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon, especially territorial expansion, as a "severe violation" of the "Islamabad agreement," referring to a June memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran that included a ceasefire in Lebanon. Despite this understanding, tensions persist, with Israel continuing operations against Hezbollah infrastructure while the group warns that capturing the ridge could reignite a wider war and lead to missile fire into northern Israel.

The Lebanese government has reportedly attempted to persuade Hezbollah to withdraw from the area and cede control to the Lebanese army, but the organization rejected the demand. Hezbollah's withdrawal is contingent on a full Israeli retreat from areas held by the IDF in southern Lebanon, while Israel insists on the demilitarization of the region and the removal of the threat it poses. The Iranian warning effectively sets a red line for Israel, signaling that Tehran considers the ridge's capture a direct threat to its personnel and Hezbollah's strategic infrastructure, thereby increasing the risk of a localized Israeli operation escalating into a broader direct conflict between Israel and Iran.