Lebanon declared Iran’s ambassador-designate Mohammad Reza Sheibani persona non grata on Tuesday, giving the appointed figure until Sunday to leave the country, the Lebanese foreign minister announced.
Lebanon’s foreign ministry summoned the Lebanese ambassador to Iran for consultations, citing what it described as Tehran’s violation of diplomatic norms and established practices between the two countries.
“I instructed today the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants to summon the Iranian Chargé d’Affaires in Lebanon to inform him of the decision to withdraw the agrément for the designated Iranian Ambassador, Mohammad Reza Shibani, declare him persona non grata, and request that he leave Lebanese territory no later than 29 March, 2026,” Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi confirmed.
Sheibani was only appointed to the role in February and had not yet presented his credentials, though he had served in the same role in the 2000s.
Lt.-Col. (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, the founder and president of the Alma Research and Education Center, who previously complained to The Jerusalem Post about Lebanon’s inaction against Hezbollah, said the latest move could lay the foundation for trust needed with Jerusalem for direct talks.
“This is very important because the Iranian embassy is traditionally known as a branch of the IRGC. The IRGC operated from within this embassy for many years to activate Hezbollah in Lebanon. And I’m very happy that Lebanon is doing that,” Zehavi told the Post.
“It is definitely a step in the right direction. And with more physical step measures like this one, it will be very helpful to build the trust between Israel and Lebanon to talk about negotiations and also to build a new future while Israel is still fighting Hezbollah and to disarm it, doing what the Lebanese government refrained from doing for many years.”
The move was also celebrated by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who said that the decision was a “justified and necessary step against the state responsible for violating Lebanon’s sovereignty, for its indirect occupation through Hezbollah, and for dragging it into war."
"We call on the Lebanese government to take practical and meaningful measures against Hezbollah, whose representatives still serve as ministers within it,” he added.
The decision comes after a week of meetings between Lebanese officials and regional leadership, many of whom have been on the receiving end of Iran’s missile and drone attacks or have found members of the regime’s proxy group on its soil.
Last week, the foreign ministry stated its solidarity with Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates after the discovery of Hezbollah terror cells there and reiterated that as of March 2, all military and security exercises by the Iran-backed group were banned in Lebanon.
Lebanese FM: Iran exploits Arab security for its own aims
Raggi also appeared at a meeting in Riyadh late last week, where he condemned Iran’s attacks on Saudi Arabia. The kingdom also notably named a number of Iranian officials as persona non grata.
“By targeting Arab and Islamic countries, Iran is attempting to hijack their security and peace and trade them for its own opportunistic objectives,” Rajji said at the meeting, condemning the Iran-backed Hezbollah for dragging Lebanon into another war.
“The most dangerous aspect of these attacks is that they are directed against countries that have consistently pursued a policy of de-escalation with Iran. These are countries that have always adhered to good neighborly relations, extended bridges of cooperation, and strived to prevent the region from sliding into conflict… What message is Iran sending to our region when moderation is rewarded with aggression?”