Lebanon Expels Iranian Ambassador Amid Rising Tensions
Beirut has given Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani until Sunday to leave the country, after he accused Iran of orchestrating Hezbollah operations against Israel from Lebanese soil.
Lebanon took a major diplomatic step on Tuesday by revoking the accreditation of the newly appointed Iranian ambassador in Beirut, Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani, and ordering him to leave the country before Sunday.
The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Iranian chargé d’affaires to officially notify him of the decision to declare the ambassador persona non grata. Sheibani, who only took up his post in February, will not have had the opportunity to fully carry out his mission.
This unprecedented decision in Lebanese-Iranian relations comes after Beirut accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guards of directing Hezbollah’s military operations against Israel from Lebanese soil. In response, the Lebanese government announced the prohibition of any activities by the Revolutionary Guards on its territory.
This rupture marks a significant shift in Lebanon’s traditionally cautious stance towards Tehran and reflects the growing pressure on Beirut to separate its foreign policy from Iranian interests, amid a regional conflict with devastating humanitarian consequences for the country.
