Iran defies Lebanese expulsion order and keeps envoy in Beirut
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The diplomatic standoff between Beirut and Tehran deepened on Monday after Iran said its ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Shibani, would remain in the country and continue his work despite a Lebanese order declaring him persona non grata and setting March 29 as the deadline for his departure.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the Iranian embassy in Lebanon remains active and that Shibani is still in Beirut and will continue his mission. After the Lebanese deadline expired, Beirut had not publicly outlined any new step or enforcement mechanism.
The episode carries weight beyond diplomatic protocol because it lands at a highly volatile moment inside Lebanon, where divisions over Hezbollah’s role and Iran’s influence remain deeply contentious. Lebanese authorities had justified the move by saying the envoy violated diplomatic norms through comments on internal Lebanese affairs.
The dispute now leaves Lebanon facing an open diplomatic confrontation with Tehran, while uncertainty remains over whether the crisis will be politically contained or allowed to escalate further. That inference is based on the envoy’s continued presence in Beirut and the absence of a new Lebanese public response after the deadline passed.
