Beirut - Lebanese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, 24 March 2026 decided withdraw accreditation from Iranian Ambassador-designated to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Shibani and declared him persona non grata and urged him to leave the country no later than 29 March 2026.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Yousef Raggi wrote in his X account that he asked the Foreign Ministry and Emigrants to summon Iranian Chargé d'Affaires to inform about the matter.
"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, Raggi said.
Lebanese Foreign Ministry said its Secretary General Ambassador Abdul Sattar Issa met Chargé d'Affaire of Iranian Embassy in Lebanon Tawfiq Samadi Khoskhu on Tuesday and informed the decision.
"In the same context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Lebanese Ambassador to Iran Ahmad Swaydan for consultation on the background of what Lebanese government described as Tehran's violation of diplomatic norms and established protocols between the two countries," the ministry wrote on X.
Further, the ministry said Iran's Ambassador Shibani had made statements in which he interfered Lebanon's domestic politics and criticized decisions taken by the government.
"In addition, he held meetings with unofficial Lebanese parties without going through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," the ministry explained.***
