As of Monday shibani no residency no dignity

Naqd English — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:02:00 +0000

The residency permit of expelled Iranian ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani is set to expire on August 24, bringing back into focus a case that was supposed to have been resolved five months ago. Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji has reiterated that Sheibani’s residency will not be renewed and that no arrangement will be made to allow him to remain in Lebanon, describing attempts to find a legal basis for extending his stay as legally unfounded.

Lebanon had already declared Sheibani persona non grata in March, withdrew its approval of his diplomatic accreditation, and gave him until March 29 to leave the country. That deadline passed, yet Sheibani remained in Lebanon. In practice, the expulsion order went unenforced, with a diplomat formally asked to leave by the Lebanese state remaining on its territory for another five months.

Today, the case does not require a new decision as much as it requires the state to enforce the one it already made. The irony is no longer simply that an Iranian ambassador was expelled from Lebanon, but that the expelled ambassador remained in the country until his residency permit was about to expire, while the state continues to demand compliance with a decision that should have been implemented back in March.

iraan – Naqd English

As of Monday shibani no residency no dignity