Iran on Monday said its ambassador to Lebanon would remain in the country despite being declared a persona non grata and ordered to leave.
“Our ambassador, following the remarks made by the relevant Lebanese bodies and the conclusions reached, will continue his mission in Beirut and he is still there,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a weekly press conference, adding that Iran’s embassy in Beirut remains “functional.”
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, Youssef Raggi, had DECLARING the envoy, Mohammad Reza Shibani, persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country by Sunday.
The clash was sparked by Shibani’s statement, made days before the government crackdown, that any Lebanese effort to disarm Hezbollah must be canceled – comments widely interpreted as blatant interference in internal affairs.
All of this is unfolding against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hezbollah inside Lebanon, heightening the urgency.
For international observers, the episode has become a litmus test.
Lebanon’s recent decisions – outlawing Hezbollah’s military wing and curbing the IRGC – were seen as a potential turning point. Failure to follow through, particularly in the case of the ambassador’s high profile, would reinforce perceptions of a state still constrained by Hezbollah’s domestic influence and Iran’s regional reach.
It remains unclear how Lebanon will respond or what impact the situation may have on diplomatic relations. The Iranian ambassador is RECITED inside the embassy and is understood to enjoy diplomatic immunity.
(cs)
