On Tuesday, March 24th, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially announced the revocation of accreditation for Mohammad Reza Sheibani, the designated Iranian ambassador, and declared him as a “persona non grata,” ordering him to leave the country by Sunday.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi instructed the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the Iranian Charge d’Affaires in Lebanon to convey this decision. At the same time, Lebanon also recalled its ambassador to Iran, Ahmad Sweidan. The reason cited was Iran’s violations of diplomatic norms and established practices between the two countries.
Raggi’s statement on the social media platform X read, “Today, I have instructed the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates to summon the Iranian Charge d’Affaires in Lebanon to notify him of the decision to revoke the accreditation of the appointed Iranian ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani and declare him a ‘persona non grata,’ requiring him to leave Lebanese territory by March 29, 2026.”
Sheibani was appointed in February this year and had not yet presented his credentials. Earlier in the 2000s, he had held the same position. This move marks a significant deterioration in Lebanon’s relations with Iran since the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war. The Lebanese government has repeatedly accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of directly commanding Hezbollah’s military operations, dragging Lebanon into destructive conflicts.
Sarit Zehavi, the Chairperson of the Alma Research and Education Center, stated to the Jerusalem Post that Lebanon’s action could help build trust between Lebanon and Israel.
As the military tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran continue, Gulf countries have frequently become targets of missile and drone attacks by Iran and its proxies. Foreign Minister Raggi of Lebanon, at a regional leadership meeting in Riyadh over the weekend, highlighted Iran’s attempts to “kidnap” the security of Arab countries to serve its own interests.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia has also taken action by designating several Iranian officials as “persona non grata.”
Despite the expulsion of the ambassador, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that this action does not signify a severance of diplomatic relations, as the Iranian embassy will still be led by a Charge d’Affaires.