Updated

Iran has warned Washington through Omani intermediaries that it will launch a major retaliatory attack if Israel mounts a full-scale offensive on the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, a strategically important position Israel says houses a Hezbollah underground command center. Officials briefed on the message told Reuters the warning was delivered in mid-August, and that US pressure prompted Israel to postpone a planned assault; more than a dozen Revolutionary Guard members are reportedly holed up at the ridge alongside Hezbollah forces. The standoff reflects heightened risk of escalation along the Israel-Lebanon front, with Iran signaling it is prepared to widen the conflict if Israel proceeds with an attack on the contested position.