Iran said its ambassador to Lebanon would remain in his post in Beirut, defying the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, which declared him persona non grata and ordered him to leave, Reuters reported.
With the war in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel raging, the status of the Iranian envoy has emerged as a point of tension between the Iran-backed group and the Lebanese government, which has sharply criticized Hezbollah. for its participation in the regional war in support of Tehran and called for negotiations with Israel.
Last week, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry said it had decided to withdraw the accreditation of ambassador-designate Mohamed Reza Shibani and asked him to leave by March 29. At the time, the ministry said Shibani had violated diplomatic convention by making statements about Lebanon's internal politics.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an influential Shiite Muslim politician and ally of "Hezbollah", however, opposed the foreign ministry's decision and asked Shibani to stay, sources familiar with Berri's position said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told a news conference that Shibani would remain in Beirut.
"Given the discussions raised by the relevant Lebanese parties and the conclusions reached, the Iranian ambassador will continue his work as ambassador in Beirut and is still present there," Baghaei noted.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2, when the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah opened fire in support of Iran, sparking an Israeli offensive that has killed more than 1,200 people in Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, whose administration has sought to peacefully disarm Hezbollah, said its decision to attack Israel showed disregard for most Lebanese and banned its military wing.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who last week praised Lebanon's decision, today noted that the deadline had passed and said the Iranian ambassador was "drinking his coffee in Beirut, mocking the host 'country'."
"Lebanon is a virtual state that is effectively occupied by Iran," Saar wrote in X.