Yedioth Ahronoth: Israeli, American, and Lebanese reasons prevent a resolution to the battle for the Al-Tahir Heights... "for now"

The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth identified several reasons on Monday for the Israeli military’s decision not to bring the battle to a conclusion at the strategic Ali al-Tahir heights in southern Lebanon, where dozens of Hezbollah fighters and Iranians are expected to be entrenched in tunnels.

According to the newspaper, the belief that Iranians are present in the tunnels of the heights, along with U.S. pressure to avoid regional escalation, are likely driving the Israeli military to besiege the area and adopt a cautious, slow combat approach, both above and below ground.

The newspaper stated: “It is entirely logical to assume that the Israeli military could have ended this confrontation weeks ago had it employed in the area’s tunnels the combat means and methods it developed during the recent war in Gaza and Lebanon, which were used to clear and destroy tunnels.”

It added: “Had the Israeli military used these effective methods, Lebanese rescue teams would have retrieved dozens of dead and wounded Hezbollah and Iranian fighters from the tunnels, and these scenes would have forced senior officials in Tehran to carry out the explicit threats they have been issuing since June of this year against the United States and Israel.”

Senior officials in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Supreme National Security Council in Tehran do not hesitate to emphasize that they consider Hezbollah a vital Iranian strategic pillar, especially when IRGC elements are directly involved, according to the newspaper.

It continued: “It is not difficult to predict the Iranian reaction in the event of a massacre at the Ali al-Tahir heights... They will undoubtedly launch missiles and drones at Israel, and the Israeli military will respond in Iran, which is likely to lead to an escalation in the Arabian Gulf region... This development currently contradicts the interests of the United States, Israel, regional states, and the global energy economy.”

According to the newspaper, “In fact, as a result of excessive Israeli offensive operations in the heights area, a volatile regional economic impact could emerge that none of the concerned parties desire. The Israeli government does not wish to drag the domestic civilian front into another destructive and bloody round with Iran on the eve of elections, nor to waste weapons and aircraft engine operating hours to achieve the same results. Furthermore, U.S. President Donald Trump certainly does not want escalation on the eve of the midterm elections, in which he might lose his majority in both chambers of Congress, especially since U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), at least for now, appears capable of escorting an increasing number of oil tanker convoys through the Strait of Hormuz without suffering any harm.”

It added: “The Lebanese government fears the impact of a heavy defeat at the heights on its credibility among the Shia community, and on its status in Lebanon as a force capable of compelling Israel to withdraw from occupied territories.”

The newspaper pointed out that “the Israeli military, for its part, has no interest in engaging in protracted battles that could result in heavy losses in the tunnel maze, which Hezbollah knows well and where soldiers are forced to carve their way through. The Israeli forces faced a similar situation when they besieged a large tunnel complex in Rafah. In that battle, patience paid off; the fighting lasted several weeks, but ultimately, most of the Hamas fighters trapped in the tunnels were killed, and a few surrendered and were captured.”

Senior military officers confirmed that they have no objection to ending operations in the Al-Tahir Heights area in the same manner, even if it requires waiting longer and risking further attacks by suicide drones.

The newspaper reports: “Nevertheless, Hezbollah and its allies are accelerating their movements and pressuring the Lebanese government, which in turn is pressuring the Americans. Thus, parallel to the fighting on the ground, continuous diplomatic contacts—most of them secret—are being conducted with the aim of reaching an agreement to end the incident at the heights without causing significant escalation.”