IDF says Hezbollah’s main underground complex has been cleared and work continues to neutralize tunnels and remaining infrastructure; Israel warns any Iranian attack would trigger a powerful response, while broader escalation is assessed as unlikelyThe Israeli operation is also taking place against the backdrop of concern over a possible Iranian response. According to reports, Iran has warned that a comprehensive Israeli operation on the ridge would be met with a significant counterresponse. Hezbollah is pressuring Tehran to intervene in an effort to stop the operation, and the possibility that Iran could choose to respond directly against Israel is being taken into account by the Israeli 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, for its part, has made clear that if Iran attacks, the 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 preparations are also being made for the possibility of a limited Iranian response or several days of fighting in the north.Israel’s message to Tehran is clear: If Iran chooses to intervene to protect Hezbollah, it risks a much broader Israeli response.“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.”The Israeli Air Force is prepared for a significant offensive operation if necessary.Defense Minister Israel Katz also issued a particularly sharp warning to Tehran on Thursday.“An Iranian attack on Israel will free us from all restraints,” Katz said. “We will strike all infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, and return Iran to the Stone Age and darkness.”Katz added that “there are signs we are seeing that indicate that the severe economic pressure Iran is under, and fears of an uprising and the fall of the regime, could push them toward desperate measures.”He said Israel is well prepared, both defensively and offensively, for any possibility.Katz also declared that Israel does not intend to withdraw from the security zone in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and the threat to residents of northern Israel is removed.