Tehran Defies Beirut: Iranian Ambassador Refuses to Leave Lebanon Following Pressure from Hezbollah and Nabih Berri

The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday, March 30, 2026, that its ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad-Reza Shibani, will remain in his post, openly defying the Lebanese government's expulsion order. Shibani was declared "persona non grata" last week and given until Sunday, March 29, to leave the country.

An Iranian diplomatic source told AFP that Shibani’s decision to stay follows "requests from Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah," who urged authorities to immediately rescind the withdrawal of his accreditation. This standoff marks a severe escalation in the internal Lebanese power struggle, as a foreign envoy remains on Lebanese soil against the official will of the Foreign Ministry.