Iran's Envoy to Lebanon Secures Six-Month Residency Despite Persona Non Grata Status

Mohammad Reza Sheibani, Iran's ambassador-designate to Lebanon, has secured a six-month residency permit from Lebanese authorities on the exact day his original visa was set to expire, continuing his stay despite being declared persona non grata earlier this year by the Lebanese Foreign Minister.

A Lebanese security source revealed to The National that General Security issued the permit on a regular basis rather than granting any diplomatic status. Another General Security officer explained that the new visa treats him strictly as an Iranian residing in Lebanon rather than as a diplomat.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, a prominent critic of the Iranian proxy Hezbollah, originally declared Mr Sheibani persona non grata in March and withdrew his accreditation. However, Mr Sheibani refused to depart, backed by Hezbollah and other critics of the withdrawal decision, and continued performing ambassadorial functions.

Recently, he hosted an event at the Iranian embassy in the capital's southern suburbs to commemorate 40 days since the burial of former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Attendees included Sheikh Ali Al Khatib, Vice President of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council in Lebanon.

Lebanon became entangled in the Middle East conflict on March 2 after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in retaliation for strikes that killed Mr Khamenei. The government condemned Hezbollah for opening a new front in south Lebanon and dragging the country into an external conflict.

In February 2025, Lebanon blocked an Iranian flight to Beirut following Israeli allegations that Iran was using civilian aircraft to smuggle cash for arming Hezbollah. In response, Iran stated it would block Lebanese flights until its own planes were permitted to land. This flight restriction followed a US warning regarding a potential Israeli attack on the airport.

Top Lebanese officials, including President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have repeatedly criticized Tehran for interfering in Lebanese affairs. Mr Sheibani's continued presence has drawn strict condemnation from Mr Raggi, who asserted that the visa expiration is not open to interpretation and constitutes a direct violation of a sovereign state decision.

Mr Raggi maintained that normal relations with the Iranian mission cannot resume until Tehran complies with the decision of the Lebanese state. Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on July 5 that peace in Lebanon requires Iran's stabilizing role, a remark that Mr Raggi similarly denounced as interference.