The diplomatic talks in Washington for an arrangement on the northern border are reaching a critical point, and the Iranian-led axis is trying to raise the tone in order to dictate the conditions on the ground and create a false impression of victory. The commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Esmail Qaani, issued a direct and harsh threat to Jerusalem today (Thursday), and issued a public ultimatum regarding the continued presence of IDF forces inside Lebanese territory.
In a belligerent statement published in Iranian state media and intended to create psychological pressure, the commander of Iran’s top unit sent a strong and unequivocal message to Israel: “You must leave Lebanon altogether. This land is a field of steadfastness and resistance, not a playground for occupiers.” Qaani continued to warn of the consequences of the continued presence of IDF forces across the border: “If you do not leave Lebanon today of your own free will, you will be forced tomorrow to flee in shame and humiliating defeat.”
Photo: Arab Networks
Tehran is trying to exploit the diplomatic discourse surrounding possible changes in the deployment of forces in the buffer zone to present any Israeli movement on the ground as a surrender and a clear victory for Iran and its proxies. These direct threats come with precise timing, as part of a premeditated Iranian attempt to influence the renewed diplomatic negotiations in Washington between delegations from Israel and Lebanon, mediated by the United States.
Photo: IDF Spokesperson
As part of these talks, the possibility of a minor and controlled withdrawal of the IDF from a limited area in southern Lebanon is being examined in favor of the entry of the Lebanese army. Our political correspondent Tamir Morag clarifies that this is a security pilot arrangement conceived by former Minister Ron Dermer in the small cabinet long before the US-Iran agreements, and without any connection to them. The purpose of the program, the details of which were also revealed by the Reuters news agency, is to test in practice whether Lebanese army forces — after undergoing background checks and training in the United States to ensure they are not linked to Hezbollah — are capable of keeping the area free of terrorist cells over the long term.
In parallel with the political negotiations, the IDF continues intense activity in the field to locate and destroy Hezbollah’s complex underground networks in southern Lebanon. The IDF makes it clear that exposing these headquarters and weapons depots and their complete destruction are a central and uncompromising condition for any future change in the deployment of forces in the region, and that fighting will continue solely according to operational and security considerations of the State of Israel.