Hezbollah Slams Lebanon’s Expulsion of Iranian Ambassador as “Dangerous Sin”
The group would ask the Iranian ambassador to remain in Beirut and treat the expulsion order as “null and void.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Hezbollah on Tuesday strongly condemned the Lebanese government’s decision to expel Iran’s newly appointed ambassador, calling the move a “national and strategic sin” and urging authorities to reverse it immediately.
The reaction follows an unprecedented decision by Lebanon’s foreign ministry to declare the Iranian ambassador persona non grata and order his departure within days, amid escalating tensions linked to the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah.
In a statement, Hezbollah called on Lebanon’s top leadership to intervene, urging both the president and prime minister to press the foreign minister to rescind the decision, warning of what it described as “dangerous repercussions.”
A source within the group told AFP that the move “violates the most basic diplomatic norms” and constitutes an insult to the Shiite community in Lebanon.
The source added that Hezbollah would ask the Iranian ambassador to remain in Beirut and treat the expulsion order as “null and void.”
Lebanon’s foreign ministry, however, defended its decision in a separate statement, clarifying that the measure does not amount to a severing of diplomatic relations with Iran, but rather targets the ambassador over alleged violations of diplomatic protocol.
According to the ministry, the envoy made statements that interfered in Lebanon’s internal affairs and publicly assessed government decisions—actions Beirut considers incompatible with diplomatic norms.
The diplomatic rift comes amid mounting tensions in Lebanon, where authorities have taken a series of unprecedented steps in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Beirut summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for a coordinated missile attack with Hezbollah against Israel.
Lebanon has also moved to ban activities by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards within its territory and has called on Hezbollah to hand over its weapons to the state, marking a significant shift in domestic policy.
The developments highlight deepening fractures within Lebanon’s political landscape as the country navigates escalating regional conflict and increasing pressure over sovereignty, security, and the role of armed non-state actors.
Youssef Raggi, Lebanon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced on Tuesday that the government has declared Iran’s ambassador-designate, Mohammad Reza Shibani, persona non grata and ordered him to leave Lebanese territory no later than March 29, 2026.
Raggi wrote on his official X account: “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 agreement 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.”