Iran Claims No Revolutionary Guards Died in Hezbollah Tunnel Attack

Iran's Fars News Agency reported on Monday that no members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in tunnels in the Al-Tahir ridge area of southern Lebanon. The report stated that 48 Hezbollah operatives were present in the tunnels, and eight of them died. This contradicts earlier publications that claimed Revolutionary Guard members were trapped and killed in an IDF operation last Thursday.

Following the destruction of the tunnels in southern Lebanon, Israel has been preparing for potential retaliation from Hezbollah and Iran. In recent weeks, Iran had threatened that taking control of the ridge would constitute crossing a "red line" and vowed to attack Israel if the Hezbollah compound was destroyed.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Sunday that the Al-Tahir ridge is part of Israel's "security zone" in Lebanon, spanning 700 square kilometers from the coast to the Beaufort Castle and the Mount Hermon region. He reiterated that Israel will not withdraw from this zone until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon, a stance also emphasized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.