Iran Threatens Israel Over Lebanon as Reports of Israeli Pullback Are Denied

Iranian Quds Force commander Ismail Qaani urged Israel on Thursday to leave Lebanon “voluntarily today,” warning that otherwise it would have to “flee tomorrow in shame and humiliating defeat.” He said Lebanon is “a scene of steadfastness and resistance, not a playground for occupiers,” invoked the year 2000 and Hassan Nasrallah’s legacy in Bint Jbeil, and predicted that “that scene will repeat itself again.”

At the same time, Defense Minister Israel Katz told a conference of Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing that “every dollar” entering the ayatollahs’ coffers becomes “a ballistic missile in Iran, a drone in Lebanon, a rocket in Gaza and a UAV in Yemen,” and that any money reaching Iran may end up with Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and other Iranian proxies. The meeting included Shin Bet chief David Zini, Mossad chief Roman Gofman, outgoing bureau head Yurai Metzlavoy and other security officials.

A U.S. official told Reuters that Israel had withdrawn from some areas it seized in southern Lebanon as a “goodwill gesture” toward the Beirut government, and said the Lebanese army should now move into those areas. Lebanese officials denied the claim, and the IDF also denied it, saying nothing had changed in recent days and no instruction had been received from the political echelon. Lebanese military sources told Al Arabi and Al Jazeera that Israel had not withdrawn from any point, despite expectations of a pullback from al-Wazzani and Ain Arab.

The report comes amid intensified talks over Israel’s deployment in southern Lebanon, including discussions over a pilot plan that could eventually transfer territory to Lebanese army control during negotiations with Beirut. Israeli forces are still operating deep inside southern Lebanon, about 10 kilometers from the border, including Division 36 near the Ali Taher ridge and Kfar Tebnit, and Division 91 around Majdal Zun. Military assessments say Israel does not need to remain in every location and may need tactical withdrawals to better control the area through observation and fire.