Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon and the strategic heights of Al-Taybar have raised questions about the Islamic Republic’s commitment—under the Islamabad agreement—to guaranteeing Lebanon’s territorial integrity. On September 3, the Israeli army said it has gained “operational control” over these heights, but Hezbollah has not fully confirmed or denied the claim.

Al-Taybar, near Nabtiyeh, is considered one of Hezbollah’s strategic positions. Reports indicate that Israel’s goal is to destroy military infrastructure and cut the front lines of Hezbollah from its operational rear.

The Islamic Republic, which had included Lebanon in the first clause of the Islamabad agreement, considers Israel’s attacks a violation of that accord, but so far it has not taken direct military action in response to developments in Al-Taybar.

Reuters had reported that Tehran warned the United States, via Oman, against a large-scale attack on Al-Taybar. At the same time, Mohsen Rezayi, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, made an oblique reference to the seizure of some areas by Israel and spoke of the announcement of a “no-go zone” outside the Strait of Hormuz; an indication of Tehran’s focus on the Persian Gulf rather than opening a new front in Lebanon.