Israel dramatically escalated its military campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Thursday, destroying a major underground complex beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge after weeks of fighting and amid reports that Iran had warned the United States that an Israeli assault on the area would trigger a major Iranian response.
The Israeli military said it had completely destroyed the underground infrastructure at the ridge, which it described as a major Hezbollah military stronghold and a strategic command center built with Iranian assistance.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the operation, saying that Israel had consolidated its security zone in southern Lebanon and would continue preventing Hezbollah from returning to the area.
The operation came only days after Reuters reported that Tehran had warned Washington against a major Israeli offensive on Ali al-Taher. According to three officials briefed on the Iranian message, Tehran threatened a large-scale response if Israel launched a full assault on the ridge.
More Than 1,100 Tons of Explosives Used
According to the IDF, the underground infrastructure destroyed Thursday included tunnels extending more than two kilometers beneath Ali al-Taher.
The army said that the wider network of tunnels destroyed in the Ali al-Taher and Beaufort Ridge areas consisted of eight tunnels with a combined length of approximately 5.4 kilometers.
Inside the underground facilities, Israeli forces reportedly found Iranian-made rockets, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, along with anti-tank weapons, mines and additional explosives.
The IDF said that approximately 1,100 tons of explosives were used in the demolition operation.
The military described the underground complex as the "nerve center" of Hezbollah's Badr regional unit, which operates in southern Lebanon north of the Litani River.
According to the IDF, the infrastructure had been developed over approximately two decades with Iranian financing and planning.
A Strategic Ridge Overlooking Southern Lebanon
Ali al-Taher is strategically important because of its elevated position and its commanding view over large areas of southern Lebanon.
The ridge lies approximately 15 kilometers from the Israeli border and has been one of the most contested areas in the current Israel-Hezbollah confrontation.
Hezbollah is believed to have constructed underground command facilities and weapons storage areas beneath the ridge.
The IDF has previously identified the area as one of its principal operational priorities and has maintained forces in territory south of the ridge. Reuters reported that Israel had sought to isolate Hezbollah fighters inside the underground complex and prevent resupply.
The destruction of the tunnels therefore represents more than the demolition of a single military facility. Israel is seeking to prevent Hezbollah from using the ridge as a forward base for attacks against northern Israel.
Iran Had Threatened a Major Response
The Israeli operation carries particular significance because of the Iranian warning reported by Reuters last week.
According to three officials familiar with the message, Iran warned the United States that it would respond forcefully if Israel launched a major offensive against Ali al-Taher.
Two of the officials said the message was transmitted through Oman, which has traditionally served as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington.
According to the sources, Tehran claimed that more than a dozen members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including at least two senior officers, were positioned at the ridge alongside Hezbollah fighters.
Reuters could not independently verify the presence of Iranian personnel at the site.
The Israeli military had previously indicated that it did not believe IRGC forces were currently present at Ali al-Taher.
The Iranian warning nevertheless underscored the increasingly direct connection between the Israel-Hezbollah confrontation and the broader confrontation between Israel, Iran and the United States.
Did Washington Pressure Israel to Delay the Operation?
One of the most sensitive elements of the Reuters report was the claim that American pressure had contributed to Israel delaying a major assault on the ridge.
A foreign official with direct knowledge of the Iranian message told Reuters that the warning was transmitted around mid-August and that U.S. pressure subsequently led Israel to postpone a ground assault.
However, the White House rejected that account, saying that the claim was not accurate. The U.S. Defense Department and the Omani government did not immediately comment, while the Israeli military declined to comment at the time.
The sequence nevertheless raises questions about the extent to which Washington has been attempting to prevent the Lebanon front from developing into a direct Israel-Iran confrontation.
Thursday's operation suggests that Israel ultimately decided that eliminating the underground infrastructure was necessary despite the reported Iranian warning.
Netanyahu: "We Are Striking the Iranian Axis"
Following the operation, Netanyahu presented the destruction of the Ali al-Taher complex as part of a much broader campaign against Iran's regional network.
"At the same time, we are striking the Iranian axis — not only very hard in the Gaza Strip, but also in Lebanon," Netanyahu said.
He referred to Israel's previous destruction of Hezbollah positions around the Beaufort Ridge and said Israel was now dealing with the Ali al-Taher ridge.
Netanyahu also addressed Iran's nuclear program, saying that Tehran was attempting to rebuild its capacity after previous Israeli and American attacks.
The remarks underline Israel's current strategy of treating Hezbollah not as an isolated Lebanese threat but as an integral component of what Jerusalem describes as the Iranian axis across the region.
Israel Warns of a Wider Iranian Confrontation
The destruction of the Ali al-Taher complex comes against the backdrop of a much broader confrontation involving Israel, Iran and the United States.
Iran has repeatedly warned that attacks on Iranian interests or its regional allies could trigger retaliation against Israeli or American targets.
At the same time, Tehran has faced mounting pressure over its nuclear infrastructure and its ballistic-missile capabilities.
Reuters reported Thursday that President Donald Trump had warned Iran against activity at a fortified underground site near Natanz, known as Pickaxe Mountain, saying Washington could strike if Tehran continued what he described as provocative activity.
The combination of the Lebanon confrontation, Iran's nuclear program and the continuing military confrontation in the Gulf has created the possibility of escalation across several theaters simultaneously.
Reports: Iran Has Resumed Limited Missile Production
The Wall Street Journal has separately reported, citing U.S. and Middle Eastern officials, that Iran has resumed production of ballistic missiles at underground facilities, using components already available to it.
According to the report, production remains significantly below the levels Iran maintained before the war.
The development is particularly significant because Israel regards Iran's ballistic-missile program as a central component of the country's ability to retaliate against Israel and U.S. forces.
Israel has repeatedly argued that Iran's missile arsenal, nuclear infrastructure and support for Hezbollah must be treated as interconnected elements of the same strategic threat.
IDF: Hezbollah Fighters Were Killed or Fled
After the explosion, IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effi Defrin said that the militants who had been inside the underground infrastructure had either been killed or escaped.
The Israeli military has previously described Hezbollah fighters in the area as being under significant pressure, with Israeli forces attempting to prevent resupply and movement through the underground network.
The destruction of the tunnels effectively eliminates the infrastructure as a potential operational base, according to the IDF.
A Massive Explosion Registers as a Seismic Event
The scale of Thursday's demolition was illustrated by its physical impact.
Residents in parts of northern Israel had been warned that they would hear powerful explosions as the IDF carried out operations in southern Lebanon.
Following the blast, the Geological Survey of Israel reported that its monitoring system detected a seismic event in southern Lebanon associated with the explosion.
The U.S. Geological Survey subsequently recorded a magnitude 4.1 seismic event in southern Lebanon at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers. Reports said the tremor was felt by residents in the surrounding area.
Israel Says Its Forces Will Remain
Netanyahu and Katz said Israeli forces were preparing to defend the area and prevent Hezbollah from returning.
That position could complicate diplomatic efforts surrounding the ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Hezbollah.
A U.S.-brokered framework had called for Hezbollah to disarm and for Israeli forces to withdraw progressively from parts of southern Lebanon. But the process has stalled, with Hezbollah resisting disarmament and Israel insisting that it cannot withdraw from positions it considers essential to its security.
The Ali al-Taher operation therefore has consequences extending beyond the battlefield.
It could strengthen Israel's negotiating position while simultaneously increasing the risk of another round of confrontation with Hezbollah — and potentially with Iran itself.
The Iranian Threat Now Faces a Test
The most important unanswered question following Thursday's operation is how Tehran will respond.
Iran had reportedly warned Washington that a major Israeli attack on Ali al-Taher would provoke a large-scale Iranian response.
Israel has now destroyed the underground complex.
The immediate reaction from Iran will therefore be closely watched for signs of whether Tehran intends to enforce its warning or whether it will seek to avoid a direct confrontation with Israel and the United States.
For Israel, the operation sends an equally clear message: Iranian threats will not necessarily prevent Jerusalem from acting against Hezbollah infrastructure that it considers an immediate security threat.
A dangerous new phase
The destruction of Ali al-Taher's underground complex marks a significant Israeli military achievement against Hezbollah, but it also creates a potentially dangerous strategic dilemma.
Israel has demonstrated its willingness to destroy major Hezbollah infrastructure despite reported Iranian warnings.
Iran, meanwhile, has publicly positioned itself as a direct stakeholder in the future of southern Lebanon.
And Hezbollah remains determined to preserve its military capabilities despite the ceasefire framework.
The tunnels at Ali al-Taher have been destroyed. The larger confrontation surrounding them is far from over.
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