Foreign Minister Youssef Raji has challenged a presidential effort to resolve the status of Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani, whose visa expires Monday.
Raji remained silent for more than two months after President Joseph Aoun sidelined him from negotiations and excluded him from visits to the United States and Turkey. He has now re-entered the centre of affairs through the Iranian ambassador issue.
Behind the scenes, Aoun had been working on solutions to the Iranian crisis, according to reports. Options under discussion included appointing Sheibani as a special Iranian envoy to Lebanon and Syria, or renewing his visa as an ordinary foreign national rather than a diplomat to bypass the foreign ministry.
Raji detected signals of a settlement, accompanied by pressure from Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah. He responded by formally demanding Sheibani's departure, stating in multiple statements that the ambassador's continued presence on Lebanese soil contradicts a clear sovereign decision by the Lebanese state.
The foreign minister intensified his challenge further. He has signalled his intention not to renew the visa of Iranian chargé d'affaires Tofiq Samadi Khoshkhu, who currently signs documents in place of the ambassador and whose accreditation expires soon. This would leave Iran with no option but to comply with Raji's demand and send credentials for a new ambassador who respects diplomatic protocols.
