Iran says its expelled ambassador won’t leave Lebanon as political tensions soar

BEIRUT — Iran on Monday defied Lebanon’s expulsion order for its ambassador by saying he would stay, further increasing tensions in a country in the crosshairs of the latest fighting between the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Israel.

Lebanon had declared Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani “persona non grata” in an effort to weaken Iran’s diplomatic presence and have a charge d’affairs at its embassy instead. But the deadline to leave the country was Sunday.

“Our embassy in Lebanon is active,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told journalists. “Our ambassador, following remarks made by relevant Lebanese bodies and the conclusions reached, will continue his mission in Beirut and he is still there.”

Lebanese officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not clear what Lebanon would might do next or how diplomatic relations might be affected. The Iranian ambassador is reportedly in the embassy, where he is believed to have diplomatic immunity.

The Lebanese Hezbollah militant group entered the Iran war by firing at Israel, which has responded by invading southern Lebanon and bombing parts of the capital, Beirut. Health officials in Lebanon say over 1,200 people have been killed, with over 1 million people displaced.

“This morning, the Iranian