Lebanon has declared Iran's ambassador in Beirut persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country by the end of the week. This decision marks Beirut's toughest diplomatic move against Tehran in recent times. This is reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
The decision was made amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Lebanon and Iran, as well as an escalation of the internal conflict surrounding the role of Tehran and Hezbollah in the country.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam previously stated directly that Hezbollah's operations in the country are controlled by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also emphasized that Lebanon "does not wish to interfere" in the broader regional confrontation.
Lebanese are not obliged to avenge Khamenei's assassination
What the Lebanese government has already done
After the escalation began, the government declared Hezbollah's military activities illegal and demanded that its weapons be handed over to the state. Lebanon also canceled the visa-free regime for Iranian citizens and instructed law enforcement agencies to prevent the launch of missiles and drones from the country's territory.
Separately, Salam accused Iranian entities of launching drones from Lebanon towards Cyprus.
Context
The escalation began after Hezbollah opened rocket fire on Israel, stating that it was a response to the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Since then, Lebanon has increasingly clearly demonstrated its intention to distance itself from Iranian influence and regain control over issues of war and peace exclusively for state institutions.
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