Netanyahu Says Israel Nears ‘Regime Collapse’ in Iran During Visit to Mount Hermon

JERUSALEM (Terror Monitor) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday evening that Israel was nearing the “collapse of the regime” in Iran, speaking during a visit to Israeli troops deployed on Mount Hermon in the Syrian Golan Heights.

Netanyahu said that if the Iranian regime collapses, the broader structure of Iran’s regional network of allied groups would also disintegrate.

Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, Israeli forces moved into parts of southern Syria and have since carried out hundreds of airstrikes targeting Syrian military facilities.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also directly addressed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, saying Israeli forces would maintain their presence in what Israel calls a security zone and would not withdraw. His remarks were seen as a clear political and security message to the leadership in Damascus.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, strongly condemned Netanyahu’s visit to Mount Hermon, describing it as an “illegal” and “provocative” act. The ministry said the visit represented a blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and could further escalate tensions in the region.

Why Mount Hermon Matters

Mount Hermon, also known as Jabal al-Sheikh, is one of the most strategically important mountains in the Levant. Located along the borders of Syria and Lebanon, the mountain forms part of the Anti-Lebanon range and commands a highly significant geographic position.

The mountain range extends from the Hula Valley and the Banias area in the southwest toward Wadi al-Qarn in the northeast. Damascus’s western countryside, Wadi al-Ajam, Iqlim al-Ballan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights lie to its east and south, while southern Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley and Wadi al-Taym lie to the north and west.

Mount Hermon has four prominent peaks. The highest reaches 2,814 meters, while the other peaks stand at approximately 2,294, 2,236 and 2,145 meters.

The mountain is known as Jabal al-Sheikh because its snow-covered peaks can resemble the white hair of an elderly man when viewed from a distance. Arab historians have also referred to it as Jabal al-Thalj, or “Mountain of Snow.” Its other well-known name, Mount Hermon, is derived from an ancient Canaanite name associated with the meaning “sacred” or “sanctified place.”

Beyond its role as a natural boundary between Syria and Lebanon, Mount Hermon’s elevation allows it to be seen from the occupied Golan Heights, Israel and parts of Jordan, giving it exceptional geographic and strategic importance.

In Israel, Mount Hermon is sometimes referred to as the “eyes of the nation” because of the strategic importance of its high ground for early-warning and surveillance systems. Its elevation allows extensive areas to be monitored, making it an important component of Israel’s defensive infrastructure.

During a previous visit to the mountain, Defense Minister Katz said he had instructed the military to prepare to remain on Mount Hermon throughout the winter. He argued that maintaining Israeli military control of the area was essential to security given the uncertainty in Syria.

Strategic affairs expert Alaa al-Asfari said Mount Hermon is considered the highest point in Syria and therefore serves as a key military observation post overlooking large parts of the region.

Speaking to the BBC, al-Asfari said Lebanon, Syria and Israel could be observed from the mountain’s summit.

He said Israel was seeking to establish a “security zone” stretching from Quneitra toward the outskirts of Damascus. According to al-Asfari, maintaining a presence on Mount Hermon would enable Israel to deploy advanced radar, cameras and other surveillance equipment, allowing it to monitor the surrounding region continuously.

He added that Mount Hermon could be viewed as part of Syria’s southern defensive shield. In his assessment, statements by Israeli leaders about maintaining a long-term military presence could also point toward ambitions for permanent control or possible annexation of the area.

Al-Asfari said that although Syria’s current leadership appears to be seeking to avoid confrontation with neighboring countries, Israeli control of Mount Hermon could undermine Syria’s concept of national security. He argued that the situation could pose a challenge to Syria’s territorial integrity while also reinforcing what Netanyahu has described as a “new Middle East.”

Military and Strategic Importance

Experts say Mount Hermon’s greatest importance lies in its geographic advantage. From the mountain, large parts of Syria, southern and western Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley, the coastal city of Banias, the Sea of Galilee, the Hula Valley and northern Jordan can be monitored.

For that reason, it is sometimes described as a “key” to the borders of Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

Mount Hermon is located approximately 39 kilometers from Damascus. Analysts say Israeli control of the area could make the Syrian capital more vulnerable from a security perspective by facilitating surveillance of Damascus and its surrounding areas, including military movements.

International and strategic affairs expert Anas al-Qassas said Mount Hermon’s exceptional elevation gives it major military value. According to him, whoever controls the summit gains capabilities for surveillance, observation, communications monitoring and electronic interference, potentially extending across more than 300 kilometers in all directions.

Al-Qassas said Israeli forces captured the summit of Mount Hermon during the June 1967 Arab-Israeli war and established an early-warning unit there. The unit was intended to monitor and interfere with communications and electronic signals originating from Damascus and surrounding areas.

During the October 1973 war, however, Syrian forces regained control of the summit. Al-Qassas said Soviet experts subsequently removed the Israeli early-warning system installed there and transferred it to Moscow.

Israeli forces later recaptured the position in what Israel referred to as the “Second Battle of Mount Hermon.”

In May 1974, Syria and Israel signed a disengagement agreement establishing new military boundaries between the two sides. Under the agreement, Area A was placed under Syrian control, extending from the northern part of Mount Hermon toward the al-Raqad area near the Jordanian border. The agreement also designated Areas B and C and set out arrangements involving United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) personnel, Israeli military deployments and the disputed Shebaa Farms area.

Although the agreement helped maintain relative stability between the two sides for decades, there were repeated reports of violations, including additional military deployments, weapons buildup and advances beyond designated lines.

According to al-Qassas, the current situation differs significantly from the past. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, he said, Israeli forces moved beyond the areas designated under the 1974 disengagement agreement and expanded their presence toward the outskirts of southern Damascus.

He also said Syrian military facilities and equipment had been targeted, effectively weakening the buffer zone that had existed for decades.

Al-Qassas said the current situation bears similarities to the tensions that emerged after October 21, 1973, but is more complicated in some respects because organized forces were present on both sides at that time, whereas the balance of power and realities on the ground have now changed significantly.