Lebanon Expels Iranian Ambassador Citing ‘Violation of Diplomatic Norms’

A meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji. Photo: IRNA.

The decision coincides with continued joint operations between the IRGC and Hezbollah, and comes after Gulf states took similar action against Iranian diplomatic staff

The Lebanese government has decided to withdraw its approval for the accreditation of Iran’s ambassador to the country, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, declaring him “persona non grata” and giving him until next Sunday to leave Lebanon.

In a statement on 24 March, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry announced that it summoned the ambassador and informed him of “the Lebanese state’s decision to withdraw approval of the accreditation of the appointed Iranian ambassador, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, and declare him persona non grata, demanding that he leave Lebanese territory no later than next Sunday.”

The decision came due to what Beirut described as Tehran’s “violation of diplomatic norms and established practices between the two countries.”

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry later said that its decision does not constitute a severing of diplomatic relations, but rather a protest against the ambassador’s “violation” of protocols, without specifying further.

According to Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath, Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, told the Iranian ambassador to reject the Lebanese Foreign Ministry’s decision.

Just days ago, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of “managing” Hezbollah’s military operations.

Over the past year and a half, Lebanon’s government has used increasingly charged rhetoric against the Islamic Republic, under heavy pressure on Beirut regarding Hezbollah and its weapons.

The Lebanese resistance and the IRGC have been carrying out joint rocket and missile operations since Hezbollah joined the war on 2 March, responding to over a year of Israeli ceasefire violations following the assassination of Ali Khamenei.

Over 1,030 people have been killed by Israel in Lebanon, and over 1,500 in Iran, including at least 200 children, since the war began.

As a result of Tehran’s retaliation against US military bases being hosted by neighboring Gulf states, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have also ordered the expulsion of Iranian diplomatic staff.

After Iran responded to US-Israeli attacks on the South Pars Gas Field by hitting the US-linked Ras Laffan Refinery, Qatar expelled Iran’s military and security attaches.

Saudi Arabia also followed suit over the weekend, calling Iran’s military operations “a flagrant violation of all relevant international conventions, the principles of good neighborliness, and respect for state sovereignty.”