Lebanon declares Iran’s ambassador Reza Shibani ‘persona non grata’

BEIRUT: The Lebanon’s government on Tuesday declared the Iran’s ambassador Muhammad Reza Shibani as persona non grata, asking him to leave Beirut amid the US-Israel joint airstrikes in Iran.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar have taken similar steps in the past week.

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani will be required to to leave their country until March 29, after withdrawing the accreditation of ran’s ambassador.

The ministry said their Lebanon’s Ambassador to Iran Ahmad Sweidan was also recalled for consultations.

The move came, what the minister claims to be, over the “violations by Tehran of established diplomatic norms and protocols” between the two countries.

Israel has pounded Lebanon with airstrikes and launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon since a cross-border attack that Hezbollah conducted in its support for Iran on March 2.

Lebanese authorities say at least 1,039 people have been killed and 2,876 injured in Israeli attacks since the Iranian war has begun after the US strikes on key cities and sites of Iran.

The latest escalation comes amid a joint US–Israeli offensive against Iran that began on February 28, which has reportedly killed more than 1,300 people.

In response, Tehran has launched drone and missile attacks targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq, and several Gulf states, claiming the strikes are aimed at US military assets.