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Tunisia: Court of Cassation hears final appeal in ‘Conspiracy Against State Security’ case

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Unnamed sources Ongoing story
  • The provided text reports that Iran warned the United States of a forceful response if Israel attacked the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon.
  • Regional officials told Reuters that Iranian Revolutionary Guard members were positioned with Hezbollah fighters near the ridge, which both sides view as strategically important.
  • The White House rejected the account, while Hezbollah, Iran, Oman and Israel did not immediately provide substantive responses.

Iran has warned the United States that an Israeli offensive against the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon would trigger a forceful response, according to three officials briefed on the message.

The message was delivered around mid-August, the officials said, as the regional war entered its seventh month. Two regional officials briefed by Tehran said more than a dozen members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, including at least two senior officers, were positioned alongside Hezbollah fighters at the ridge.

Ali al-Taher overlooks southeastern Lebanon and has become one of the most contested areas in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Lebanese security sources said Hezbollah is believed to have built an underground command center and weapons stores there. Hezbollah has publicly said it controls the hill and will confront any Israeli advance, while its officials have referred to a facility at the site without giving details.

This is not accurate.

· White House officialThe official rejected Reuters’ account that Washington had pressured Israel not to attack the ridge.

The Israeli military has occupied areas south of the ridge and has described Ali al-Taher as one of its primary operational focuses. One foreign official with direct knowledge of Iran’s message said Israel postponed an assault after pressure from Washington. The White House, responding to Reuters’ questions, said: “This is not accurate.”

Hezbollah did not confirm or deny the message, but its media office called such a warning a natural conclusion. “Iran considers any Israeli move on the ground in southern Lebanon, especially territorial expansion, a major violation of the Islamabad Agreement,” it said, referring to the June U.S.-Iran memorandum that included a Lebanon ceasefire.

Iran fired missiles toward Israel in early June in retaliation for attacks on Hezbollah positions near the Lebanese capital, the article said. Hezbollah declined to comment on whether Iranian forces were present at Ali al-Taher. Iran’s permanent mission in Geneva, the U.S. Defense Department, Oman’s Foreign Ministry and the Israeli military had not immediately commented.

Iran considers any Israeli move on the ground in southern Lebanon, especially territorial expansion, a major violation of the Islamabad Agreement.

· Hezbollah media officeHezbollah described the reported warning as a natural conclusion and referred to the June ceasefire memorandum.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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