The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that it summoned the Iranian chargé d’affaires, Tawfiq Samadi Khoshkho, to inform him of the withdrawal of the diplomat’s accreditation and demand his departure from Lebanese territory.

The Foreign Ministry also decided to call for consultations with Lebanon’s ambassador in Tehran, Ahmad Sweidan, as part of measures taken against what it described as violations of diplomatic rules by Iran.

The Lebanese authorities pointed out that the decision reflects actions considered interference in the internal affairs of the country, and stressed that bilateral relations should be governed by mutual respect and the principle of non-intervention.

A few days earlier, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had requested formal explanations from the Iranian representation in Beirut, after denouncing statements and actions linked to the Revolutionary Guards and their alleged coordination with the Hezbollah movement.

The move comes in a context of high tension in the country, aggravated by recent Israeli attacks on Beirut and southern Lebanon, as well as the intensification of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah.

In this scenario, Israel intensified its air and military operations on Lebanese territory since early March, causing numerous casualties and a significant deterioration of the security situation in the Levantine nation.

abo/nmr/fm