The IDF said Thursday evening that it had dismantled Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure on the Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon, destroying more than two kilometers of underground routes after recently establishing operational control over the ridge both above and below ground.
According to the military, the operation followed extensive preparations and was carried out inside the Security Zone in order to “definitively neutralize Hezbollah’s ability to use this infrastructure to plan and carry out terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.” The IDF said dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles and UAVs were found inside, along with machine guns, dozens of anti-tank missiles and hundreds of mines and explosive devices.
IDF destroys Hezbollah tunnels on Ali Taher Ridge as Israel warns Iran against intervention
The tunnels also contained a central command complex belonging to Hezbollah’s Badr Unit, including command centers, weapons storage rooms and living quarters that allowed operatives to manage combat and remain underground for extended periods. According to the IDF, the strategic infrastructure was built over two decades with Iranian funding and planning.
During a visit to the Western Wall on Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed both the operation and Iran. “President Trump announced this evening that Iran is trying to arm itself again with nuclear weapons. That is true,” he said. “After we destroyed its immediate ability to produce nuclear bombs, both in Operation Rising Lion and Operation Roaring Lion, they are trying again. I promise you here, at the Western Wall, ahead of Rosh Hashanah: As long as I am prime minister, Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”
Netanyahu added: “At the same time, we are striking the Iranian axis, not only very hard in the Gaza Strip, but also in Lebanon. We destroyed the Beaufort Ridge and are now dealing with the Ali Taher Ridge.”
Residents of northern Israel were informed Thursday evening that they were expected to hear explosions as a result of the IDF activity. The Upper Galilee Regional Council said the military would carry out “a series of strikes and controlled explosions on the Lebanon front,” with blasts expected to be heard across the Upper Galilee, Ramim Ridge, the Hula Valley and the Golan Heights. It stressed that there was no change in instructions to the public.
The operation comes against the backdrop of concern over a possible Iranian response. According to reports, Iran warned that a comprehensive Israeli operation on the ridge would be met with a significant counterresponse. Hezbollah has been pressing Tehran to intervene to stop the Israeli operation, and the possibility of a direct Iranian response is being taken into account by Israel’s security establishment.
Satellite image of the Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon, March 2026, showing damage from IDF strikes
(Photo: Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS)
Israel has made clear that if Iran attacks, its response will not be limited to the Lebanese arena. At this stage, however, the security establishment assesses that the likelihood of a broader escalation with Iran is not high, while also preparing for the possibility of a limited Iranian response or several days of fighting in the north.
“Iran has no reason to intervene in what is happening in Lebanon,” a senior IDF official said. “If Iran intervenes and responds, they will very quickly face a powerful response that we have prepared.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz also warned Tehran: “An Iranian attack on Israel will free us from all restraints. We will strike all infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, and return Iran to the Stone Age and darkness.” He added that severe economic pressure and concern over unrest and the survival of the Iranian regime could push Tehran toward “desperate measures.”
The IDF has operated in recent weeks to take control of the Ali Taher Ridge, one of Hezbollah’s key centers of activity in southern Lebanon. Forces, including Yahalom and commando troops, operated above and below ground, surrounded underground infrastructure where Hezbollah operatives had entrenched themselves and prevented attempts to transfer supplies to them. The military said some operatives were killed and others fled before operational control was established.
The IDF said its forces would continue operating in the Security Zone in southern Lebanon to remove threats and dismantle terrorist infrastructure, and would not allow Hezbollah to harm Israeli civilians. The military also said it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.
First published: 21:12, 09.10.26