Hezbollah evacuated the Ali al-Taher Ridge and left the area to IDF forces rather than hand it over to the Lebanese Army after receiving explicit instructions to do so from Iran’s senior leadership, the Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
A source involved in the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Lebanon told the newspaper that Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the ridge had raised a wave of questions, chief among them Tehran’s position on the matter.
According to the source, Hezbollah is not authorized to make a decision of this kind independently and without prior coordination with the Iranian regime, particularly in light of earlier statements and threats by leaders of the Islamic Republic that they would intervene to defend the site.
The source asked: “Was the evacuation of the Ali al-Taher Ridge part of an arrangement in which Tehran participated? Was the move facilitated by international mediators who enabled the safe departure of military experts affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards who were present inside the military facility?"
The source further noted that Iran’s threats to intervene militarily and assist the terrorist organization in defending the ridge remained “ink on paper" and were not translated into action on the ground.
According to the source, this conduct is consistent with Tehran’s threats to retaliate for the assassination of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, which likewise were never carried out.