Since its release on Friday, the video titled "Our Mountains, Our Depots: The Imad 4 Installations" has drawn significant attention from military and strategic experts, as well as Arab and Israeli media. The key question remains: Why did Hezbollah choose this specific moment to unveil one of its most secret military facilities?
In four minutes and 36 seconds, the video reveals an extensive underground tunnel system set in a mountainous region. It features well-organized long-range missiles, missile launch ramps, massive trucks transporting missiles and motorcyclists navigating a network of illuminated, wide, and well-paved rock-cut tunnels. The exact location is not disclosed, except that the facilities are dug into a mountain with no visible openings to the outside — aside from a hatch used for launching missiles. The specific mountain remains unidentified, and speculation abounds, given the multiple mountain ranges in the Bekaa and southern Lebanon.
The video, featuring dramatic special effects, has garnered mixed reviews. Some in Lebanon quickly suggested that the images were created using artificial intelligence, though this theory has not gained widespread acceptance. Others have questioned Hezbollah’s right to control the interior of a mountain in this manner. Nonetheless, most local, Arab, and even Israeli media consider the facility to be an impressive installation, reflecting significant military capability, especially in terms of missiles.
Sources close to Hezbollah say the idea to build these facilities emerged after the 2006 war with Israel. The party sought to evaluate its capabilities and performance during the 33 days of fighting (July 12-Aug. 14, 2006) and address the deficiencies identified. Hezbollah's jihadist leaders recognized the lack of significant underground structures as a major weakness. To prevent a repeat of the 2006 destruction, which saw 210 buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut demolished and to guard against new powerful American bombs, they decided to construct fortified and unassailable underground facilities. The sources add that the idea was presented to the Jihad Council, which approved it, and execution began in 2007, under strict secrecy.
The specifics of what was built and the number of underground tunnels similar to those shown in the video remain unknown, as this is one of Hezbollah's major military secrets. So why reveal this information now? Sources close to Hezbollah indicate that the decision to produce and release the video was made at the highest levels and signifies a new phase in the confrontation with Israel. For the first time, Hezbollah has opted to disclose part of its concealed arsenal, having previously only discussed it verbally and without details.
Sources close to Hezbollah say the party’s leadership decided to reveal parts of its arsenal to send a message to Israel, the United States, and negotiators. They claim the video aims primarily to deter Israel from escalating its confrontation with Lebanon by highlighting the difficulty of destroying Hezbollah's facilities. Additionally, the video serves as a message to the U.S., which has recently supplied Israel with bombs intended to target tunnels and underground facilities, indicating that even these bombs would be ineffective against Hezbollah’s fortified tunnels. This release coincides with truce negotiations in Doha and Cairo, which seek to pressure Tel Aviv to lower its demands.
According to the same sources, the video conveys another message concerning Lebanon. With the sophisticated missile arsenal now disclosed, the proposed implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701— which calls for the withdrawal of Hezbollah commando units from a zone between 3 and 10 km from the border — is rendered obsolete. This demand was based on the understanding that Hezbollah's missiles typically have a range of up to 10 km. However, with the revelation of longer-range missiles, this requirement is no longer sufficient to ensure border calm. The presence of these longer-range missiles, concealed in undisclosed locations, makes the existing demand inadequate. Consequently, alternative arrangements will need to be considered, or there may be an acceptance of Hezbollah’s assertion that calm in Gaza will lead to calm on the southern front. Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, has also claimed that his party's missiles can reach Israel "from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat," covering the entire length of the country — a message also featured in the video.
From Hezbollah's perspective, this is an effort to deter Israel from launching a full-scale war and to encourage it to seek alternative solutions. But will this video be enough to persuade them?
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour and translated by Tasnim Chaaban.
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