Three officials said Iran warned the United States last month it would respond forcefully if Israel launched an offensive against a ridge in southern Lebanon known as Ali al-Taher. Lebanese security sources say Hezbollah has built a command center and weapons caches beneath the ridge, which overlooks southeastern Lebanon and is among the most fiercely contested sites in the Israel-Hezbollah fighting. Hezbollah says it controls the hill and will repel any Israeli assault; the Israeli military has

Three officials said Iran warned the United States last month it would respond forcefully if Israel launched an offensive against a ridge in southern Lebanon known as Ali al-Taher. Lebanese security sources say Hezbollah has built a command center and weapons caches beneath the ridge, which overlooks southeastern Lebanon and is among the most fiercely contested sites in the Israel-Hezbollah fighting. Hezbollah says it controls the hill and will repel any Israeli assault; the Israeli military has seized territory south of Ali al-Taher and lists the ridge as a “major operational focus.” Tehran told Washington any full-scale Israeli assault would be met by large-scale Iranian attacks. Hezbollah declined to comment on reports of Iranian forces in the area. A White House official, asked whether the U.S. had pressured Israel not to attack Ali al-Taher or about the substance of the message, said “this is not accurate.”