IDF Declares Operational Control of Ali al-Taher Ridge, Stalling Next Rome Verification Round

September 3, 2026 — Israel's 36th Division announced it had finished clearing two Hezbollah/IRGC-linked tunnel complexes beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge, roughly 10 miles from the Israeli border, after a months-long operation, ahead of the facility's planned demolition. The IDF said the underground infrastructure — command rooms, weapons stores, generators, and living quarters — was built over some two decades and financed and planned by Iran; a Reuters report that a dozen IRGC personnel, including two senior officers, were trapped inside was disputed by the Israeli military, which said the tunnels held no IRGC members when troops entered. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would 'remain in Ali al-Taher until Hezbollah disarms.' Al-Monitor's Sept. 4 analysis characterized the move as Israel deliberately stalling the 8th round of Rome verification talks until after its domestic election, prioritizing a military fait accompli over negotiation — even as Netanyahu paired the operation with a goodwill release of five Lebanese prisoners.