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Lebanon will persist with its decision to withdraw approval of Iran’s Ambassador-designate to Beirut, despite intense opposition from Lebanon's two main Shiite parties.
None of the four ministers nominated by the two parties – Iran-backed Hezbollah and its ally the Amal Movement, headed by Parliament speaker Nabih Berri – attended a cabinet meeting on Thursday that was dedicated to the continuing crisis in Lebanon resulting from the latest Hezbollah-Israel war.
Both parties have strongly criticised the move by Lebanon's Foreign Ministry to declare Mohammad Reza Sheibani persona non grata and give him until Sunday to leave. They said the envoy should stay in the country.
A Hezbollah official said on Friday that the ministers’ absence was not solely about the ambassador but reflected broader dissatisfaction with the government’s approach.
“Hezbollah is saying the decision to dismiss the Iranian ambassador is not based on any evidence whatsoever, it's purely political,” the official said. They described the government as “inactive” and “opposing the resistance” for a long time, predating the eruption of the latest war.
“What happened yesterday with the ministers not attending the cabinet meeting was based on that. Hezbollah demanded the government rectify their decision, and they did nothing, which we consider as igniting a political and internal dispute at a time of war. It was intentional,” the official added.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The government condemned the move to open a new front in south Lebanon against Israel, saying the militant group had dragged the country into a conflict that is not its own and was “imposed from the outside”.
Last week, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Hezbollah’s military operations in the current war with Israel are being directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Two political sources – one supporting and one opposing the decision – said Foreign Minister Yousef Raggi had consulted with President Joseph Aoun and Mr Salam before making the decision about Mr Sheibani, though not with Mr Berri.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs has all the jurisdiction to perform such acts, especially when it's obvious to people that the Iranians are launching a war on our territory,” said a source close to Mr Raggi.
“Of course, he consulted with the Prime Minister and President before proceeding.”
Mr Raggi was nominated to his position by the Christian-led Lebanese Forces, a vocal critic of Hezbollah.
One Shiite minister did attend the cabinet session. Fadi Makki, who was not nominated by either Amal or Hezbollah, said he attended the meeting because it is “national necessity to ensure the smooth functioning of public affairs and face the escalation of challenges”, despite his opposition to the move over the Iranian ambassador.
Hezbollah and Amal have a long history of leveraging cabinet boycotts as a political tool. This time, however, the government appears determined to move forward with its decision regardless.
“Definitely [Mr Raggi] did not consult with Berri. And nobody did,” said a political source opposed to the ambassador decision. “With the separation of power according to the constitution, the foreign minister is not under the speaker’s authority.”
Mr Berri's Amal Movement has urged the government to reverse its decision, saying all parties should prioritise strengthening national unity and solidarity in the face of continuing Israeli attacks.
Lebanon has also ordered officers from the IRGC to leave the country or face arrest.
The cabinet meeting did not address the ambassador situation, partly due to the absence of the four ministers.
“The agenda for this session focused solely on the issue of displaced persons, the consequences of displacement, Israeli attacks, and their effects across housing, relief, social, economic, financial, and naturally military aspects,” said Information Minister Paul Morcos after the meeting.
He said the government would file a complaint to the UN Security Council over Israeli actions that “threaten Lebanon’s sovereignty”.
Israel is continuing its ground invasion of southern Lebanon, under regular fire from Hezbollah. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that its military was seeking to establish a new “security zone” south of the Litani River.
