Weekly Commentary: Despite Iranian Threats - IDF clears Ali a-Taher ridge
Dr. Aaron Lerner 3 September 2026

"Huge news tonight. The IDF cleared the Ali a-Taher ridge. This ridge was built next to Beaufort as a strategic position from which they not only harassed Kiryat Shmona and Metula, but also threatened to conquer the Galilee. We instructed the IDF to clear it. I congratulate the Chief of Staff, the Northern Command Major General, our heroic fighters, they did a wonderful job there. They took out weapons, took out computers, it's in our hands. We eliminated a great many terrorists there, today it can be told. The Ali a-Taher ridge no longer threatens us."
Prime Minister Netanyahu - 3 September 2026

This is huge news for many reasons.

And while, in and of itself, the destruction of this huge Hezbollah underground command post, built at great expense by the Iranians over the course of many years, is a significant achievement, perhaps even more important is that the IDF operation continued unabated until its successful conclusion despite warnings and threats from Teheran to cease and desist.

This development, that Iran no longer can deter Israel, not only illustrates how determined we are to neutralize Hezbollah in Lebanon.

It also shows a critically important sea change in Washington.

A few months ago, if the same scenario were playing out, there would have been a real possibility that President Trump would have applied whatever pressure available on Netanyahu to halt the operation so as not to interfere with American attempts to work things out with Iran.

In fact, there were reports earlier in the Summer, denied by both the White House and Jerusalem, that President Trump asked Netanyahu to delay the operation.

It is public knowledge that the Lebanese Armed Forces failed miserably in the "pilot zones".

Expanding on that program without recognizing this could have doomed Lebanon to remain under Hezbollah control.

But now, just as Israel could not be deterred from clearing out the Ali a-Taher ridge, Israel also can't be deterred from insisting on the challenge in Lebanon being addressed with eyes open.

This is good news for the future of Lebanon.